Project: Amalgam
by Harbinger Of Kaos
Summary: Cross/AU; Ranma is captured and has his mutant powers awakened, due to their nature he is further enhanced against his will. Once freed he finds himself wielding great but uncontrollable powers and must seek out help to remedy this. This is his story.
1. Chapter 1

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don__'__t __tell __anyone __or __they__'__ll __skin __me __alive._

This was inspired by the Fic called The Evolution; it was a shame that the story wasn't continued it was a very good as far as Ranma crossovers go.

Now most would think why I am doing another story and the answer would be because I feel the need to let some of my other stories to rest for a while, i.e. Halo and Kim Possible fics, and please note that I said a WHILE… not abandoned. I ask you simply be patient, nothing more or less.

This among others works I have under my sleeve have been stewing for some time and they won´t let me be until I finally put them on "paper" so to speak and see where it takes me.

Now please take in mind that this story is not Beta read, my regular Beta is going through some technical difficulties and cannot aid me right now. My search for a secondary one have not gone well as of several weeks and yes there is a new chapter of my Buffy/Castlevania fic in the waiting that needs some checking and what not.

If anyone would like to help please feel free to contact me, but know that it may not be permanent.

As far as this story goes Ranma will be powerful and be a bit OOC like in the fics that inspired me, if that is not your cup of tea then please do not make a scene. I get enough of that with a certain anonymous reviewer who doesn´t realize just how little his flames and critics mean to me in the long run.

PS: The existence of mutants is known I shall later establish during what season this all happens on and what was taken out and left in.

Now let´s see how far down the rabbit hole I can take you folks, ´kay?

Chapter 1:

_Azabu, Juuban…_

*Sigh.*

"Another rainy day it seems…" a middle aged woman spoke, which it seemed time had treated well as she maintained her beauty even today whose most noticeable feature was her vibrant red hair. She looked forlornly at her gardens filled with lush bushes and cherry blossom trees in full bloom of spring.

Yet this serene look did not fill her with pride, as the weather seemed to match her disposition. Who is this person you ask? The answer once was Nodoka Saotome, though after her divorce it was now Nodoka Gunshin.

"Are you all right mom?" She heard from behind making her turn and look at her daughter. A long brown haired girl with a well-kept figure, she was quite the looker and could easily gain any man's attention…if they overlooked the giant spatula on her back.

This was Ukyo Gunshin…formerly Kuonji and adopted daughter of Nodoka.

"Fine dear…it's just…"

"It's about Ran-chan isn't it?" She asked glumly.

Giving off another sad filled sigh, Nodoka turned to look at her step-daughter with a sad gaze.

"Yes…today marks a year since he returned from China and disappeared." She said to her.

Ukyo remembered well the circumstances by which he left and returned. He had received a letter from some person named Herb who Shampoo later informed her was a prince of a rival tribe to the Amazons, and apparently someone he had defeated before.

According to what he told her, Herb owed him a life debt for saving his life despite them being enemies at the time. To the Musk life debts were something no member could deny, much less if you are a member of the royal family.

In the letter was a plane ticket to China, first class much to Nabiki's shock. It said it was time to reward him for his actions.

Cologne had explained that he should go since it would be considered disrespectful to the Musk Dinasty not to heed a royal summons. After what happened with the Phoenix, which to this day no one would tell her what happened there; Ranma was in no mood to gain such powerful enemies.

He did show some reluctance to leave since after the wedding fiasco he was starting to make some progress with getting his life in some semblance of order.

He was doing better in school thanks in no small part to the combined efforts of Miss Hinako and his mother, who figured he would understand better if they made educational problems using the Art as an example for him.

He quickly picked up on the lessons with his amazing learning curve and was giving Nabiki a run for her money in the brains department, much to the chagrin of Akane and the mercenary.

The first out of envy that her unwanted fiancée had shown her up in yet another area while the second because he got better at finances so she couldn't swindle him anymore.

He was making tremendous progress in his Art as the Old Letch and Cologne began to train him, the first because he recognized that Ranma was now far beyond what Genma could teach and the latter because news came from the Amazon council that they should not antagonize him.

The only place that remained the same was the fiancée debacle, or at least it was for Shampoo, Akane and Kodachi as she bowed out. It wasn't easy for her to admit but she was turning into someone she didn't like.

After the incident he confronted her and told her how disappointed and ashamed he was of her, he expected that kind of behavior from Kodachi or Shampoo but not her. She had cried deeply that night when he threatened to end their friendship.

Ukyo had kept her distance for a while as she thought over his words and found them to be right, she was acting that way and she did not like it one bit. She apologized deeply for that and realized that her engagement was destroying their friendship.

Ranma may not have been the most sensitive when it came to male-female interactions, but he was there for her when she needed him as a friend even if it got him a ride on the Mallet express.

It took her a while but she confronted her father and demanded he let go of the engagement. He was not pleased by this and cast her out of the clan and forbade her from practicing their art.

It was a heavy blow that nearly destroyed her…but Ranma and Nodoka came through for her as Nodoka adopted her and placed her in the family registry. Ukyo was not pleased with the idea of calling Genma father but Ranma said she could call him whatever she wanted since he only called him pop because he was all he had at the time.

Ranma challenged her father to a duel for her to have the right to use her style since he felt responsible for her. It was a very short battle as her father never once faced eight headed dragons, princes of foreign lands and demi gods.

He made a better brother than a fiancée in her mind, as he watched out for her and helped her out in the restaurant. This earned him several trips from Akane Airlines as she still saw her as a threat regardless of what she lost and gained.

Shampoo seemed to change tactics with the council's decision, she backed off her usual attempts…meaning no more late night visits in a skimpy nightie or free shows in the bath. Nodoka never did mind the Chinese girl's antics as she saw them as Ranma being manly with one of his lovers.

But now she tried the friendlier approach by helping him spar as out of all the girls she was the strongest in the art.

Mousse however still got on his case regardless of the Chinese matriarch's warnings to leave him alone. The same could be said of Kuno and Ryoga who still faced off against him occasionally which was starting to really annoy him since they weren't a challenge anymore.

Then there was Akane, she had seemed to change after the wedding attempt but after a month she reverted back to her old ways, in fact if Ukyo was honest with herself the youngest Tendo seemed to have gotten worse.

Akane was convinced SHE had been the one chosen by him after the end of the Phoenix debacle. He admitted to her in secret that he HAD felt something once but her increased outburst of anger and jealousy had broken him out of whatever feelings of love he could develop.

The girl simply did not trust him…in fact she was threatened by him as he had proven time and again that he was the better martial artist, and lately she spent a lot of time with Ryoga who rubbed it his face constantly.

With a free trip to China, he took it as a chance to get away from his tormentors. The father's tried to convince him to take his "one true" fiancée with him, but she repeatedly said that she would no longer set foot in that place and much less spend time alone with the perverted freak.

Nodoka did not take kindly to that comment and denied them their demand at sword point and a wicked tongue lashing.

Nabiki tried the monetary approach but his mother reminded her that she was owed nothing after her hand in the wedding disaster two months prior or the destruction of her home as she sold false information that led to that particular event.

Nabiki Tendo was not one to bow down to anyone but even she knew when to let sleeping dogs lie and backed off as well. Ukyo hoped she could learn more from her as she could tell there was more to Nodoka than many gave her credit for.

So after making sure he had all he would need for his long trek through the mountains and saying his goodbyes he left for China. Once he arrived he had begun to send letters that explained that his reward was none other than an actual cure for his curse!

He explained that the Musk used water from untainted Nannichuan water, boiled in the Kettle of liberation and applied with the locking ladle. Needless to say there were many reactions to the news.

Genma, Ryoga and Mousse cried out in anger that Ranma be the one to get a cure and not them. Nodoka and Ukyo were joyous for him as he seemed to finally free himself of one of his burdens.

He then explained the Herb wanted to train with the "Godslayer" so he would spend a couple of months with them while he learned. However at the end of the second month the letters had stopped, the last one saying he was arriving by sea.

A week passed and still there was no sign of him, they had reported it to the authorities who began an extensive search in all the ports that made trips to China. All they could confirm was that he had indeed returned as set off to return home.

The days that came after were hard indeed.

The Amazons tried to track him down…or more precisely Shampoo tried since she missed him just as much as Ukyo or Nodoka, however one month and no clues to his whereabouts finally took their toll on the poor girl.

They left Japan soon after though not before Cologne made sure to sign over the deeds to several properties to Nodoka as both an apology and a show of gratitude for tolerating her granddaughters antics and acceptance as a potential spouse for her son.

She also left a scroll she discovered that could have help the boy with his Neko-Ken should he ever turn up, it was to be a peace offering to him for all the times Shampoo got overzealous.

The Kunos remained the same, that is to say stark raving mad. Kuno resumed hounding Akane while Kodachi attacked her thinking she had Ranma sequestered.

Nodoka soon divorced Genma when she could no longer tolerate his constant reprisals of her son. Soun and Genma tried to protest based on the pact but unfortunately for them it was revealed that Akane had been seeing Ryoga behind Ranma's back after the wedding. Nabiki was aware of this and blackmailed them to keep it quiet.

To say that Nodoka was livid would be an understatement since she vowed that no one of her line would ever wed a member of such a dishonorable family. She emphasized her point with her family blade, not even Kasumi could tame the woman's anger for such callous disregard.

She was easily granted custody of both Ranma and Ukyo thanks to Genma's criminal record. The two moved to her home in Juuban where Ukyo learned that her step-mother was actually well off monetary wise.

When asked why Genma leaved all this in the first place, she simply replied sadly that circumstances she was involved with required she hide it from him. Thankfully she had notified Ranma in one of her letters before he went missing so there was a chance he would find them there if he ever turned up.

From them on it was just routine for them as they hoped that he was all right, they would often distract themselves as best they could. Nodoka started to make progress with Ukyo as she embraced her womanhood once more while also regaining her skills with a sword as it once held a passion for her.

One of the things that surprised the former Kuonji was that Ranma's female side got her vibrant red hair from her mother who for some reason dyed it, again for mysterious circumstances.

Still no matter how much they tried they still thought of him, was he all right? Did someone capture him? Was he even alive? These questions would often plague them at night, yet they also maintained hope that he would find his way back to them.

Any more mental wanderings by the chef were cut off by the arrival of her friend and servant.

"Gunshin-sama…the meal is ready for you both." Konatsu her effeminate male kunoichi spoke.

"Konatsu I have told you that there is no need for formalities with me." The Gunshin matriarch spoke kindly as she knew of the boy´s upbringing to his…sisters, if she could even call them women.

"Ah yes you have…" He replied "…but I feel I must show respect for helping my mistress in her time of need."

Nodoka simply gave a sigh and an amused smile, before she and Ukyo headed for the dining room and ate their dinner in silence. However midway through they were interrupted by a series of loud knocks from the gate.

*KNOCK!*…*KNOCK!*…*KNOCK!*

"Who could that be in this weather?" Nodoka asked as she got up from her seat and headed for the door.

The knocks repeated once more, only this time a voice was heard with it, one they had not heard in a while.

"Nodoka! Nodoka! It´s Doctor Tofu! Are you there!" The doctor´s shouts were slightly muffled by the rain and the distance, but all three occupants could clearly hear the urgency in his voice.

Forgoing the need for an umbrella the three got up and rushed to the gate. Nodoka quickly opened it and saw a soaked Doctor Tofu Ono, a nervous Happosai and a young man in a black leather trench coat hanging from the doctor´s shoulder, from the looks of things he seemed to be unconscious.

"Tofu-san…what is going on? And who is this?"

Before the either man could reply, their unknown companion seemed to slightly tilt his head up, his long and unkempt hair block his face but his eyes…they could be seen clear as day.

***Those ****eyes!****Could ****it ****be!*** Nodoka thought with both anxiety and wild hope as the stranger lifted his right hand weakly to her face and whispered a single word to her before exhaustion claimed him.

"_Mo...Mom__…__ugh._"

"Ranma?"

"Ranma!" Ukyo yelled in shock.

"We´ll explain inside but we must get him in before someone sees us." Happosai ordered.

"He´s right…Konatsu please help me."

"Yes…of course." The cross-dressing Ninja replied as he moved to help the doctor carry the formerly missing martial artist.

"And be careful around his…" Tofu began to speak but Konatsu had already grabbed his upper forearm when…

*SNIKT!*

Nine, one and a half inch curved blades erupted from it as well as three foot long blades burst from between his knuckles.

If not for his great reflexes he would have come off with a few fingers short.

"What…What the hell!" Ukyo exclaimed in shock.

"Careful! Someone has done something to him." Tofu chided.

Konatsu wearily took hold of the arm and put it over his shoulder before letting the weight settle on his shoulders.

"Ugh!"

***Kami-sama!****He ****weighs ****a ****ton!***

The four moved inside with a worried Ukyo in the lead.

Nodoka however was still paralyzed by what she had seen; only one thought…one name came to her mind when she saw the blades.

***Logan****…***

Secrets long since hidden had deemed now to surface, her past had come back and her child it would seem would bear the consequences.

She quickly ran to be with her son, she knew questions would be asked and she would answer them as best she could. She only prayed her son would not hate her for hiding something as the identity of his TRUE father.

_Later…_

In a room of the house a young man dreamed…

Darkness…

Always there was Darkness…

Within that darkness was pain, pain inflicted on him by a man…

***NO! ****NOT ****A ****MAN! ****A ****MONSTER ****GIVEN ****THE ****FORM ****OF ****A ****MAN!*** His mind screamed with a mixture of anger, pain and fear as he saw pale flesh, soulless eyes that glowed blood red when pain was to be administered…and that smile…a fanged maw of teeth that showed cruelty and madness.

How many days he spent on a table with that…creature looming over him, smiling as he injected substances into his body…laughing as he screamed in agony…mocked his vows of vengeance.

He was to be his weapon to use against his enemies…he would be his slave…he would be used as breeding stock for an army like no other….

***NO ****I ****WILL ****BE ****FREE****…****I ****WILL ****KILL ****HIM ****FOR ****THIS!***

So many tries to escape…so many times he spat in his face…his defiance kept him sane…gave him hope that he would be his family…

Except the sick bastard kept taunting him that he would see to his family…

***OH ****KAMI! ****MOM! ****UCCHAN!***

These and so many more terrors plagued him.

His mother watched as he tossed and turned as he was assaulted by nightmares. What´s worse was that she could swear that she was seeing the cause of them in her mind.

***What ****has ****been ****done ****to ****my ****child?*** Her mind and heart cried as once more she brave the danger by placing a comforting hand on his head and spoke soothing words to him.

They seem to hold whatever nightmares he had at bay but only until left his side to fetch more water or when Tofu dressed him in some baggy clothes she found.

It had been two hours since Tofu and Happosai had arrived with him and explained how they came by him…

_Flashback…_

Happosai was on his usual panty raids, though he did it now more out of habit ever since Ranma disappeared. It was no fun without the challenge of facing his erstwhile student to stand in his way.

It soon began to rain again as if sensing his mood.

***Again? ****It ****never ****rained ****this ****much ****even ****when ****Ranma ****was ****here.*** the 300 year old pervert thought to himself as he prepared to return to the Tendo´s.

However as he passed by an alleyway he stopped as he felt a presence he had not sensed in a year.

"_Ranma__…__?_" He whispered as he rushed to the area.

He stopped in front of an alleyway and peered inside, the shadows obscured his vision but a stray bolt of lightning showed a figure half sitting on the wall near a dumpster…his senses told him that it was the boy but upon closer inspection he discovered that something had changed in the boy's physique and aura.

He seemed taller and more muscular, he appeared to be wearing a black trench coat and if his bare feet were any indication nothing else.

***This ****feeling****… ****Kami ****could ****he ****be ****one ****of ****them?*** the wizened old man thought to himself ***I ****have ****to ****get ****him ****out ****of ****here ****before ****the ****others ****find ****him!***

He grabbed the boy to carry him but did not expect him to weigh so much.

***Ugh! ****What ****have ****you ****been ****eating ****boy! ****He ****weighs ****as ****much ****as ****a ****horse! ****I****'****m ****going ****to ****need ****help.***

With that thought in mind he hid him in a blanket of ki to hide his presence and raced to a payphone.

_Later…_

-Ono Clinic, Dr. Tofu Ono speaking. –

"Tofu it's Happosai "

-Happosai? Well this is unexpected, how did you get my number? –

"Never mind that right now, I have an emergency that requires discreet assistance…it involves a mutual acquaintance of ours….a certain wild horse."

-You found him! –

"In a manner of speaking…but we can talk about that later, I need you to come to the following address quickly! I'm afraid something has occurred only you can relate too and possibly help with."

-I…I don't understand how can…? –

"Sonny if you think I haven't lived long enough to know WHAT you are hiding and why you really left Nerima than you better get your head in place." The old man snapped.

***Young ****people ****today ****simply ****think ****they ****know ****better, ****no ****respect ****to ****their ****elders.***

The good doctor remained silent for a minute that the 300 year old man imagined he was gaping like a fish.

-How long have you known? –

"That can wait for another time, but Ranma can't!"

-You mean he's...? –

"At this point I'm not sure but what I am sure is someone has…done something to him, I know you understand what I am speaking of."

-Oh no…I-I'll be there immediately.-

"Thank you I shall flare my Ki when you get close, we cannot afford to let any of his enemies find him in such a state."

-Yes of course, I will see you soon…should we tell his mother?-

"…Yes, they have a right to know. But be ready for anything should things become… unpleasant."

_End flashback…_

She was thankful of them and understood their weariness regarding her possible reactions to the claws her son now sported…of course she had previous experience when it came to mutants since Ranma's father was one.

***Oh ****Logan****… ****I ****wish ****you ****were ****here, ****I ****fear ****for ****our ****son****'****s ****safety.***

Any further thoughts were cut off as Ukyo stepped inside.

"Has there been any change?" She asked with some worry.

"He has yet to wake up, and I fear to leave his side."

"You should rest mom, I can take over for you." Ukyo suggested as she saw that her adoptive mother looked tired.

***She ****isn****'****t ****the ****only ****one, ****I****'****ve ****had ****more ****coffee ****than ****that ****time ****I ****worked ****double ****shifts.*** She thought.

After confirming that the young man the two men had brought was indeed her former fiancé turned stepsibling, she found her emotions running all over the place.

She was overjoyed he was found, but shocked by the blades that came out of his arm.

It was obvious that something had been done to him because she clearly recalled he did not look like he did now or sported a mean set of knives under his skin.

Her thoughts ranged too many possibilities; one was if he was a mutant. Personally she wasn't biased, her time in Nerima and her many adventures with her friend had desensitized her to the strange and bizarre.

Mutants could be good or bad just like regular people; she had seen on the news how some abused their powers while others such as the government sponsored heroes Big Hero 6 used them to help the country.

***If ****he ****is ****a ****mutant ****than ****it****'****s ****a ****good ****thing ****he ****didn****'****t ****end ****up ****at ****the****Tendo****'****s.*** She thought as recalled their particular sentiments on them.

Genma, Soun and Akane thought of them as freaks who could never measure up to true martial artists. Nabiki only saw them as a means for profit whenever a reward was offered for the capture of one…Kasumi was the one who caught her off guard when she expressed that mutants were evil demonic aberrations.

Ryoga went with whatever Akane went with so he naturally hated mutants too.

***Bet ****he****'****ll ****hate ****Ran-chan ****even ****more ****now****…****though ****I ****wonder ****how ****sharp ****his ****claws ****are?***

"U…Ucchaaann…" Ranma slurred through his sleep, for a moment he thought he was awake but he shifted back to sleep.

"Ran-chan…" she spoke with worry.

*Sigh* "He's been like that for some time…" Nodoka spoke as she quietly got up "…take over for me please; I must see Tofu-san and Happosai."

"Yes mom." The girl replied as she sat in her place and put a comforting hand on his head.

Nodoka was thankful her son found his adoptive sister's presence equally pacifying as her own.

She quietly slipped out of the room and headed to the living room where she had left the two.

"Konatsu." She called out to the ninja, who quickly and quietly appeared.

"Yes my lady."

"Prepare some tea for our guests…I seemed to have distracted myself with the night's activities."

"At once my lady." With that said he vanished as quickly as he appeared.

She continued toward her objective and found them both lost in their own thoughts. Happosai smoked his pipe in the balcony; the rain having diminished seemed to soother him. The doctor's expression was of interest to her as he read a leather bound book the found within the coat her son came in.

He seemed caught in a mixture of horror, disgust, rage and sorrow. Whatever it was he was reading it had to involve her son.

"Tofu-san?"

Her voice seemed to break him out of the state he was in.

"Y-yes?"

"Are you all right?"

He gave off a ragged sigh as he took off his glasses and rubbed his face.

"No…no I don't I think am or will be for some time after reading…this thing." He spat venomously at the book before calming down and placing his glasses on.

"Ranma seems to have been captured by someone named Sinister, who learned of his dormant X-gene and proceeded to subject him to dangerous radiation treatments to activate his mutation. He goes on to write that he would be the perfect candidate for a project where he would have used Ranma as a living weapon after erasing his mind."

"*GASP!* Nodoka let out in horror.

"I know…whoever this Sinister is he clearly has no remorse for experimenting on innocent living beings, human or mutant."

"But what made Ranma the perfect subject and what did he do to him?" Happosai asked.

"That's where things take a surreal turn, but it mentions something about his father and that he would splice several other mutant abilities to make him more powerful as well as other operation that could very well have killed him."

"His Father? What does Genma have to do with this?"

"It isn't talking about Genma…" Nodoka said softly but both men heard her.

"…"

"Somehow…I find that both very reassuring and very confusing." Happosai spoke.

"Does he know? Does Ranma for that matter?" Tofu asked.

"No…I was pregnant when I married Genma, and…I had to keep it a secret from Ranma…to protect him."

"Then it is safe for me to assume the father is the one responsible for his mutation?"

"_Yes__…_" she whispered.

"Will you please tell about him?"

"Not yet…I would rather Ranma be awake for this, it is time he learned the truth, though I wished it had not come about in this way."

"Agreed, in the meantime I believe I shall try to call a friend and see if he can find out anything about this Sinister." Tofu spoke as he got up to make the call though stopped when Nodoka took his hand.

"Thank you for bringing back my child." She said with a beaming smile

"That boy has brought me some fond memories as well as being my friend…I just wished this had never happened to him."

"I will return shortly as well…" Happosai spoke as he doused his pipe "…I must make sure his presence was detected by anyone." With that said he jumped away.

_Two days later…_

Ranma found himself in darkness, surrounded once more but at peace, he knew those around him were worried for him…strangely because he could hear them, just not in the traditional way.

***Oh ****Ran-chan, ****please ****wake****up****…***

***Please ****awaken ****Ranma-sama****…****mistress ****Ukyo ****needs ****you.***

***Oh ****my ****poor ****child****…****why ****did ****he ****do ****this ****to ****you?***

***Come ****on ****my ****boy, ****I****'****ve ****seen ****you ****take ****worst ****beatings ****than ****this ****and ****laugh ****them ****off.***

***Come ****on ****Ranma, ****I ****know ****you****…****you****'****re ****a ****survivor.***

He knew these people, he cared for them…

***Ucchan****… ****Doc****…****Happosai****…****Konatsu****…***

It was the last one that brought him back from unconsciousness.

"_M__…__mom__…_"

"He's waking up!" he heard the old pervert speak.

"Ugh!" He groaned as he slowly woke up…

"Easy Ranma…you're safe and with friends."

"Tofu?"

"Yes Ranma…it's me, let me help you a bit." He spoke to the young man.

Before he could ask he felt a warm feeling envelop him and started to feel reenergized, just as quickly it ended as it started.

"Wha…"

"How the hell did you do that!" Ukyo shouted.

"Ukyo! Manners!" Nodoka chided.

"Sorry mom…"

"Better, now then I believe the doctor will tell us how he did that."

"I will…but first how do you feel Ranma?"

"Better…hungry though but better."

"I shall bring food then." Konatsu spoke as he dashed out.

"Mom…?" He asked hopefully that this wasn't a trick.

"Ranma…"

"MOM!" He shouted as he hugged her waist and started to cry tears of joy.

"MY SON!" she cried with him as she returned the hug, the others were quiet yet Ukyo got in on the action and hugged them both, they reciprocated and held each other.

"It's over…you're safe…you're home." Nodoka muttered through her sobs.

After what seemed like an eternity they released each other.

"Ranma…what happened to you if I may ask? What do you remember?"

The boy processed the question and was soon coming up with the face of his tormentor. The anger he felt picturing his face sent them reeling as the images flowed into their minds. Happosai took notice that the boy's eyes turned into slits before…

"SNIKT!"

The metallic claws appeared again…except he now sported half a foot long claws on his feet and curved blades on his shins, his body then did something even more unexpected by shifting into a metallic form, this had the strange effect of causing everything metallic to vibrate and lighting to arc around him.

"Ranma! Calm down before you hurt someone!" Tofu yelled.

Thankfully this had effect and he let go of his rage…he took stock of his looks.

"Oh dear kami…what have I become?" He asked, his voice now taking a metallic tone, as he looked at his hands and claws.

"Ranma…?" Ukyo asked with worry as she could tell he was in a bad place right now.

"I…I remember making a stop near a forest on Hokkaido…then I trained a bit when I fell into a hole…something attacked me, some kind of machines…I fought them off as best I could when I was knock out, and then…HE appeared." He snarled at the end and clenched his fists.

"Sinister?"

"He calls himself Mr. Sinister…he took some blood and when he came back…he looked like he had found a piece to a puzzle…then pain…injections…more pain."

"Enough Ranma…I shouldn't have asked, I read what he did." Tofu spoke sadly.

Nodoka and Ukyo approached him slowly to comfort him…

"Wait…Let me…" He closed his eyes and concentrated; slowly the claws sank beneath his metallic flesh before it to recede and left him as he once was.

"Guh…" He felt tired; shifting from that form was taxing since he hadn't eaten yet.

"It seems that my scans confirm what I read was correct, this…being wrote about combining several mutant abilities in your body since you stood a better chance to survive than his other subjects."

"He did this before!" Happosai asked in shock that was mirrored in Ukyo and Nodoka.

"Many times, he never could find a subject that could survive the first phase of the procedure." The doctor said in disgust.

"What do you mean scans Doc?" Ranma asked.

"Well Ranma…like you I was born a mutant." He spoke as he held out his hand which suddenly glowed red and his skeleton could be seen.

"I have the ability to sense anomalies in anyone's body as well as boost their healing to an extent, that's how I sensed several X-genes in you, one natural and the others implanted."

"So Genma is a mutant? That psycho was right?"

"No Ranma…" her mother spoke before giving off a tired sigh "…there's something I've been hiding from you…"

"Genma isn't my real father is he?" He asked quietly.

"You knew!"

"No…not really but when that…_thing_told me about my claws, he said I got them from my dad, but Genma never showed claws even when we were chased…and now since you look like you have to tell me a big secret then I figure…well, you know."

"I understand if you hate me now." She said with her head bowed down.

"Mom! I could never hate you!"

"Really?"

"I'm just so confused and have so many questions…who was he? Why wasn't he there for me? What does that make me? Does it change who I am?"

"Sugar…you are still the same knuckle headed lug I met when I was little." Ukyo spoke up, lifting some of the tension in the room.

"Heh…same ol' Ukyo, always there to cheer me up." He smiled.

"You know it!"

"Well Ranma, your real father was a mutant, he had claws also except that I recall they came out of the center of his hands and were the only set he had, though they were also metallic…Adamantium I believe he called it."

"Yeah? Someone probably covered them in that."

"What do you mean?" Happosai asked.

"Well when I woke up I had this bone claws, then that asshole cut me opened and poured some metals on my bones…Kami I screamed my lungs out for hours when he did that." Ranma growled as he ignored the looks of horror.

Konatsu returned at that moment and saw that maybe it was a good time to bring in food but before he could leave a gust a wind appeared and the tray he brought was gone.

"What the…?"

The sounds of someone gorging themselves made everyone look at the teen.

"How..? When?" The male kunoichi tried to ask as he never saw him move.

"Super speed, it was one of the abilities he was spliced with."

"Just how many does he have?" Ukyo decided to ask.

"According to the notes, he can manipulate the weather, super human speed, the ability to transform in to a metallic form as we just witnessed and grants him super human strength and endurance, telepathy and telekinesis, the ability to control magnetic fields and enhanced healing, senses and the claws." Tofu replied.

"Whoa…that many?"

"Yes but he can't control them all at the same time."

"Guys… will get back to that later; I need to hear the rest first."

"True, now as I was saying your father was a mutant who I met many years ago under…less than desirable circumstances."

"What do you mean mom?"

"Well son…I was walking home after finishing my classes at college when I came upon a brutal scene involving him and the Yakuza." She spoke as she thought back on that day.

"He was bleeding terribly form many wounds…and I was honestly shocked when I saw him and his claws yet could not tear myself away, unfortunately the Yakuza saw me and would have killed me had it not been for him."

"Why did they attack him?" Ukyo asked.

"He had returned to visit the grave of his deceased fiancé when he was attacked; he and the local crime lords had a history and attacked him upon seeing him. Naturally I owed him my life so with the help of some of my father's servants I took him home with me and nursed him back to health."

"I realized that he healed at an astonishing rate, so during the times he was awake I spoke with him…he was reluctant at first but as time passed I overrode his defenses and he opened up to me."

"In time…the more I learned of him the more drawn to him I was and when he was healed we both decided to pursue a relationship."

*Sigh* "How romantic." Ukyo let out, earning a chuckle from Tofu and Konatsu and a pair of eye rolls from Happosai and Ranma.

"Your father's name is Logan, no last name since like you he was…experimented on except it erased his memories of his past. He was a very unique person, wild and passionate yet brave and honorable; you are so much like him Ranma." She said with a warm smile as she caressed her child's cheek.

"I take it something went wrong then?" The old man asked.

"Yes…It was the third month when we got together and things were going well, I was so happy and he was finally finding peace. My father actually approved of him, no easy feat mind you since he was quite traditional but Logan never backed down from any man, I was on my way to the hospital when I was attacked by some men in red ninja robes who were targeting him."

"Fortunately Logan was near and a battle ensued, he slayed them all in a rage the likes of which I had never seen…however this just showed him I was in danger by being near him. That night he packed his things and as he left…I begged him not to go…that we would find a way but he could not let me live a life of constant danger, so we went our separate ways." Nodoka spoke sadly and let some tears fall.

"I later found out I was pregnant with you…my father feared for me and arranged a marriage with members of a minor clan…"

"Genma I assume?" Ranma asked.

"Yes…when I met him he was a great martial artist and would not ask too many questions, I also knew he would make you strong though I was not aware of his horrible methods."

"Well Genma was always the more overzealous of the two when I met them." Happosai spoke.

"Yeah…but maybe this time his idiocy saved me."

"How so my son?" His mother asked.

"Neko-ken."

"How did that help you?" Tofu asked as he was baffled how something that turned him into a berserker could possibly help his situation.

"Well…the pale faced asshole was done cutting me open and giving me powers so he decides it's time to mess with my head and be a good little attack dog…" He speaks with anger and hatred in his voice "…so he weakens me somehow so I can't use any powers and that's when I feel like my head is on fire…long story short I blackout and wake up under some rubble with no sign of the freak or his goons, just a lot of blood and limbs."

"Pardon me for saying this Ranma but usually when you go into that state of mind you aren't usually so…" Tofu paused as he tried to find the words.

"Bloodthirsty?"

"…Exactly."

"Don't know what changed Doc…maybe that part of me just wanted to go home, wanted the pain to end or just wanted some payback."

"It doesn't matter now…" Nodoka spoke as she got up and sat next to her child "…you are home and safe with us."

"Maybe…" Happosai said suddenly earning everyone's attention.

"What do you mean… maybe?" Ukyo asked.

"Think about it, this Mr. Sinister went to a lot of trouble to make Ranma into a weapon he could use and quite frankly he could have survived the destruction of his hideout and if he did he will want to reclaim his…tool."

"Kami! He's right!" Ranma shouted as he realized that he just left without checking the area.

"Which means he isn't safe here, he may send people after him and if they are as ruthless as him then you can expect a serious fight."

"I can take him and…"

"Ranma…listen to me very carefully…" Tofu started "…did he train you to use the powers he grafted onto you?"

"No."

"Can you use them all at once?"

"No…"

"Does the metal affect your combat style?"

*Sigh* "I get it Doc okay? …I'm useless right now." The young man muttered.

"I'm only pointing out the problem Ranma, I have no doubt that you can learn to control these powers as well as adapt them to your style but that will take time, something we may not have in abundance."

"Damn it…" Ranma cursed as he dropped his face into his hands.

"Ranma…there may be something we CAN do…in the journal it spoke of a man named Xavier, he is a mutant who is trying to help normal humans and mutants coexist and teaches mutants how to use their powers."

"You think he can help me?"

"Possibly…though he does have enemies, according to the information there is a man who calls himself Magneto who thinks that mutants should take over and a group called the Hellfire Club with powerful individuals with a desire to rule everyone in the world."

"…don't matter Doc, I need help…if this maniac comes I can't fight him and protect everyone if my powers go haywire or I lose it again."

"Let me make some inquires, see what I can learn of the man, in the meantime rest and regain your strength so you can readjust your body to its new abilities."

"He's right Ranma…" Happosai spoke up as he got up "…I'll be here helping you train your body, I may not know a thing about mutant powers but I can help you with the style."

"You do know I can't turn into a girl right?" The raven haired teen asked with a smirk.

"I have found acceptable substitutes; besides that old bat Cologne left you a scroll that may help you control the Neko ken. The way I see it you are going to need every edge against this man."

"Thanks you old perv."

"Heh, this place got boring without you around my boy. I'm just glad you're back and safe, relatively speaking of course, now if you will all excuse me I must be off and see what those two bumbling fools are up too." The Grandmaster said before leaping out of the window.

"I'll be leaving as well to check some leads and read more of that journal…maybe I can piece together what else was done, I shall return tomorrow."

"Take care Doc, I'll be here for a while." Ranma spoke to his friend as he nodded before leaving.

"Are you still hungry?" Nodoka asked.

"No just want to rest…don't feel like sleeping for a while, too many damn nightmares."

"Well we should get you up to speed on what happened while you were… um away." Ukyo said with a wince.

"Not all will be pleasant so we can do that later if you want." His mother said in turn.

"No…I figure things might have changed while I was gone so I might as well get it out of the way beside…I missed you and I want to make up for lost time." He said, smiling a bit when he did.

"We missed you to son…very well where to begin?"

With that the four spoke for hours while leaving whatever dangers lurked for another day, today was just for them and them alone.

_Meanwhile…_

Happosai words spoke true as from the rubble where Ranma was kept, some activity could be seen.

"Ugh…Argh!" Someone grunted as he threw of a slab of concrete.

"Boss! You there!" A man yelled, his voice carrying a noticeable Australian accent.

"Over here you twit!" Was the harsh reply.

The mutant known as Gorgeous George, a living being made out of tar arrived to stand over a man who looked like he'd seen better days. He's right arm and left leg were broken; his left hand was gone as was his right foot and he had several slash marks across his chest.

"Damn boss! You look like you went ten rounds with a blender and lost every one."

"Get me out of here fool!" Mr. Sinister yelled before biting back a scream as his bones were still knitting themselves.

***That ****whelp ****will ****pay! ****It ****took me ****forever ****to ****crawl ****out ****of ****that ****hole ****he ****left ****me ****in!***

"Right boss, sorry." The mutant spoke as he scooped up his employer.

"Argh! Easy!"

"Sorry boss."

"Who else alive?"

"Well…aside from you, me, Arclight and Hairbag…no one…that kid went bloody postal on the others, he went specially hard on Scrambler and Ruckus." He spoke as he recalled how Ruckus had his throat torn out and Scarmbler got beheaded as he tried to shut the kid's powers down once more.

"Blast it all, I'll need to clone them again…is the plane still usable?"

"Yeah…Hairbag is there healing as we speak."

"Take me there, I need to heal as well, and contact Scalphunter and tell him to assemble the rest of the Marauders."

"We're going after the kid?" George asked a bit fearfully.

"Of course we are!" Sinister snapped "…that boy was the first successful subject for my project, had I known his mind was had THAT kind of defense in him I would have taken measures to prevent this fiasco. I will not let months of work be lost because you are afraid!"

"What if Magneto, the Hellfire Club or the X-men find him? Or worse…HIM?"

Sinister had to admit the man had a point.

***If ****the ****X-men ****find ****him ****the ****boy ****would ****likely ****go ****with ****them, ****Magneto ****will ****try ****to ****recruit ****him ****and ****if ****that ****fails ****kill ****him ****and ****Apocalypse****…****I ****will ****be ****damned ****if ****I****let ****him ****usurp ****MY ****creation!***

"Get us to the plane now!"

"Okay! Okay! No need to shout boss." The tar like being spoke as he hurried to the plane while his benefactor began to think strategies.

***You ****are ****mine ****Saotome!****You ****will ****serve ****me ****or ****I ****will ****make ****sure ****the ****hell ****I ****put ****you ****through ****will ****be ****like ****nothing ****you****'****ve ****ever ****seen ****before!*** the mad scientist thought darkly.

To be continued…

And now… an entry of the Sinister Journal…

_Sinister Journal Log entry 030100…_

_It has been some time since I have made a log entry; I believe it was in September of ´86…I will have to confirm later since it would not do to lose track of my research._

_I find it soothing to write in my Journal´s since today's high speed world demands often seem to take most of my time. Yes the technology does make my work easy but after so many centuries one learns to enjoy those few moments to slow down, especially in my line of work._

_Speaking off…I believe I may have finally hit a breakthrough regarding a project that has vexed me for so long._

_It started while I was working in New York base, I was currently researching my latest sample of Summers DNA I managed to obtain…I am sure the right combination of their DNA with another equally powerful sample shall yield a mutant without equal._

_But I digress…all my hidden bases are connected so naturally when I saw that my base in Hokkaido was breached my pre established protocols went into effect. Those being capture the intruder, run a basic DNA analysis and if nothing is found that could be useful to me liquidate the subject…This was not the case this time as I was alerted it required my immediate attention._

_I took two of my Marauders with me, Arclight and Harpoon, as well as Slab and Hairbag. Call me paranoid but I cannot run the risk of letting anything get in the way of my work. With Magneto searching for powerful mutants for his ridiculous war I can´t afford to be caught off guard._

_We soon arrived and immediately I reviewed the security tapes…I found myself surprised for two reasons…_

_- A mere boy managed to battle and destroy one of my security droids…taking into account they are built to withstand and attack by a beta level mutant I find myself impressed._

_- He fired of a sphere of bio energy…without an active X-gene, how is this possible? A human with such of ability is unheard of. _

_I began a battery of tests that yielded many discoveries and several questions._

_He is male, approximately 17 to 18 years of age, though there are signs of stunted growth, malnourishment the most likely cause through early childhood, and physical abuse. _

_Faint scars along his body and callous hands show a rigorous training regime that has yielded a lithe yet powerful body that could rival many gymnasts._

_His bone and muscle density are much higher than the average human his age indicating that he has had his body trained since early childhood…possible cause of stunted growth._

_There were signs of a dormant X-gene… I decided that I would activate through the use of experimental radiation treatments I had been planning on using for some time, how fortuitous of me to find such an appropriate test subject._

_I addressed the boy when he regained consciousness; he is very…lively to say the least. Since I wished to see him live long enough to see his mutations I took the liberty of correcting some problems. _

_By stimulating his Thyroid gland I was able to correct his height to a now 6´2". I reversed some damage done to several sections of his brain which showed signs of being struck repeatedly with great force, though for some strange reason his libido was damaged…curious. _

_The time came and soon gave him the treatment…It was a shame I could not anesthetize him for fear of causing a chemical imbalance, his screams were most annoying._

_It was after two days of recuperation that his mutation was activated…I can honestly say I have not experienced shock in a while but what I had in my hands was the key to Project Amalgam. To think that Wolverine would have a son was a surprise to say the least! I ran test after test to confirm it and indeed it was true._

_I began to ran tests to see how close his mutation was to his father´s, his senses were on par with his, but that was a given I very much expected. His healing factor is twice as potent as his father´s as when I amputated his hands they regenerated in half a day´s time where his father took a full day if I recall my days in the Weapon X facility correctly._

_His claws on the other hand…that is where it became interesting, he has several sets located on his hands, forearms, shins and feet. The one located on his hands are one foot in length and do not appear on the center of the hand but between his knuckles._

_They are wider by three quarters of an inch max which explains their location, also they are single edged at the bottom but serrated at the top in a wave motion with one centimeter separation between each wave._

_This would mean that should the subject stab someone it will easily sink into the flesh but cause greater damage pulling out…Marvelous! _

_The claws at his feet share the same design but are 6 inches long and can bend at a 45 degree angle, allowing the subject to walk and possibly run with the claws out. The claws at his forearms and shins number 9 in total with an inch of separation between them and an inch in height, they curve backwards towards the body._

_This all confirmed one thing for me… all my attempts to create a mutant with multiple power sets from birth have failed because their bodies simply cannot adapt from such a young age…but what if the body within a certain age is strong enough?…if it carries with it a healing factor powerful enough to allow its survival…what if instead of starting from scratch…I modify an existing body and splice the genes into it?_

_This boy is the key I have been searching for…I shall begin immediately, if all goes well I shall soon have in my possession a warrior that not even Xavier´s X-men, Magneto´s Brotherhood or Acolytes and dare I say…Apocalypse shall be able to defeat!_

_End entry._

If this story was to your liking then I shall continue it, I am just going with what I feel is right so don´t hold it against me if things seem out of whack or take a turn for the crazy and violent.

It is set in the X-men: Evolution, though it will sometimes branch out into other aspects of the Marvel U. Apocalypse, Sinister and the Hellfire Club are in this to add some extra juice to the story, pray that it works.

Don´t know who should be used pairing wise but I'll figure it out as I go along. It is AU so anything can happen.

That is all for now Peace out…


	2. Chapter 2

Codename: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

Okay so as a change of pace I will answers some reviews now…but first I ask if there is anyone who that can be recommended for Beta reading? Once more I am without one now and my attempts through proper channels have been less than stellar.

I am doing this through my story for two reasons. One: because I can´t be held completely accountable for grammar or spelling errors if I am in fact looking for help. Two: Because having been burned 3 F´ing times already by following established rules and ways, two Beta´s left me out to dry after I sent my work and the other one has yet to answer my request after two weeks.

Oh if get my hands on them I will…*Ahem* Sorry about that…I have had a somewhat stressful week at work what with the holidays coming and work being piled on before the vacation period.

Onto the reviews...

Calypso: I get what you are saying in regards to his abilities and should I lose sight of where I am going with this story I hope I can count on you and others to let me know.

I am debating on what to do with the rivals, from turning Kuno into the Silver Samurai or Ryoga into a Reaver or prime Sentinel.

**shadowbndg**: First off, I completely understand your meaning when you say that I am running a risk by taking this course of action. However like the fic that inspired me I am taking the approach that while he has great powers he does not have control over all of them.

And this is Ranma we´re talking about…when has his life ever been easy, yes he can wipe the floor clean with the rivals now…but can the same be said of Apocalypse? Juggernaut? Magneto? Weapon X? No I think not.

Regarding the Comic and Evolution versions placing of Wolverine´s claws… sorry about the emphasis in those two but I have a point to make and no that pun was not intentional.

I have in my possession the Wolverine 2004 Official Handbook, and in it are several images that all show the same thing, three inert silicon bushing´s (Apparently that is their name) in the center area of the back of his hands from where the claws pop out.

And no, this is not me being a smart ass, it is me making sure I got my research done before venturing n unknown waters, I may not always get it right but I am trying to do right by my stories and the fans.

**RoyalTwinFangs**: I made a list of his abilities in the first chapter, but as the story progresses at the end of the chapter I will include fragments that explain what powers dwell within him.

Emma Frost appearing is a possibility, heck I may just make her a potential suitor.

BTW may I have your permission to uses some of the phrases you have in your profile? Some of them really got to me.

**drake202**: I know, I mean I understand that the curse as well as the Neko-ken are part of Ranma ½ lore and all and I respect their choice to leave it as be… but then there are those who choose to alter or remove them who, to my point of view at least, are a minority.

One thing you´ll notice about both this story and my GR story is I free him from the curse and cat yet replace it with something else, i.e. the power of the Rider or a Mutation, and those are a whole slew of new problems.

**Cardinel**: Listen I know I need a back up Beta; I alluded to this in the first chapter and even this one. I can´t take all the blame if my call for aid goes ignored now can I?

Now then to your first question….Why Evolution? To be frank with you it was a long and arduous thought process that took place during the planning stages of this story.

The way I saw it I had two options before me.

Set it during the mainstream Marvel Universe from the beginning around the time after Avengers Disassembled, Professor Xavier has left leaving Scott and Emma in charge and obviously before M-Day.

In that setting I could have inserted Ranma as a member of the Young Avengers while dealing with the teens at the Institute as seen during Academy X storyline.

If I feel like it I may actually do this if I feel like it or let this stand as a challenge for anyone interested in the concept.

The other option, and now in use, was Evolution where I can introduce Mainstream characters from not just the X-men side of the equation but Marvel as a whole. It is the original story that I am using as a template for this one.

Also the most reasonable answer would be because up till now there is a small emergence of writers who are taking elements from the mainstream universe and incorporating them into the storyline. Case in point Smallville X and the Last Son series which I consider the best examples of this phenomenon.

As to your second question why make them anti-mutant? I simply went with what I felt comfortable with as I make him cut ties with that part of his life. Though normal and used? I don´t think I have read more than maybe 2 or 3 fics that use that plot device, on this site mind you, if you know more could you please point them out me? I could use the reference.

**sh8ad8ow**: I just hope I can pull this off since my experience in reviving forgotten fics is limited up till now to my Ghost Rider story.

**Raynze76**: Not really unique just something I am hoping to bring back into the game.

**Elf-King-Colius**: Well I like to think outside the box, what has been done can always be changed to meet the needs of the readers if one is willing to go the extra mile.

That is all for now, remember I am looking for a Beta so if you folks can recommend anyone I would be grateful and would expedite the appearance of he who will not shut the fuck up in both this story and my Halo fic.

"Do what he says or he will send into that Godforsaken pit!" Deadpool AKA He who will not shut the fuck up spoke with alarm while strapped to a chair above said pit filled with rabid and horny Squirrel Girls.

Also I may up the rating or just a warning when I am about to go into extremes haven´t decided yet.

Chapter 2:

_Azabu, Juuban – Gunshin Residence…_

It had been a week since Ranma had been found, and despite everything that happened… he was glad he was away from the mad scientist who experimented on him.

Currently he was in the backyard of his mother's home, dressed in some clothes they bought for him since his old clothes no longer fitted his new frame. In this case a pair of loose black cargo pants, black t-shirt and a red hoodie jacket.

By mutual consensus by all, it was decided that Ranma needed to master his powers unless something unpleasant happened. Evidenced by several Ranma shaped cracks on the walls and blackened craters quite similar to the aftermath lighting strikes.

He sat in lotus position trying to levitate a pencil with telekinesis. Doctor Tofu was behind him with a glowing red hand on his back checking to see if he could activate the right set of powers.

"Okay Ranma I sense you are close to activating something, try to focus on the pencil and make it move."

Ranma nodded and extended a hand towards the pencil.

***Come on…move…move!***

Unfortunately he did not get the desired results…

*ZZZAAAATTT!*

As a bolt of lightning escaped from his hands.

*BOOM!*

"Damn it!"

"Easy Ranma, we knew that you would have difficulty doing this since it isn't your natural mutation."

"I know!" The young man snapped before calming down as a peal of thunder boomed "…I know, it's just… frustrating."

"I assume it is, before you can have total control over your body but now you have these abilities and have to start from zero." Tofu commented as Ranma took a moment to reflect on that.

It was true he was slowly regaining his edge in the Art thanks to the 300 year old grandmaster who already had taught him how to find mutants through their auras.

Humans were a calming sky blue and mutants were a shade of violet since their pathways had to alter themselves to accommodate their powers and abilities.

There was some progress with his art as Ranma had to adapt to the added weight his metal encased bones gave him as well as fighting in his metallic form, however as a counter point to this the same could not be said for the mutant abilities.

His claws as well as his metallic transformation were more under control, though more than likely because they were a physical mutation and not one that required much concentration except to unsheathed or transform.

Happosai and the doctor believed the control over the transformation to his alternate form came from a slight subconscious need to protect himself from danger, which was understandable when one took into account the traumatic event he went through.

As for the rest he had occasional bouts where he would burst into a wall at high-speed, levitate silverware or cause a small rain storm or blizzard, depending on his mood, centered on the house.

The telepathy was somewhat disconcerting to the young man since he had to sometimes use the Soul of Ice to block out invading thoughts from those around him. In a world that feared the strange and bizarre the invasion of privacy on such an intimate level was truly disturbing for him.

Still Tofu felt that so long as they trained him to master these powers Ranma could still live a relatively peaceful life...at least he prayed he could. The doctor was brought back to the present by his young friend´s comment.

"Yeah…it doesn't help I feel like I'm cheating by having these powers."

That was another aspect they had to take into account, Ranma thought it was a cheap power up to have these mutant abilities…having witness and experienced the downside of getting power for free left a bad taste in his mouth.

He may be no saint but he still had his pride in his hard earned martial arts skills after all.

"Ranma, it isn't cheating if they are a part of your body." The doctor spoke as he adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah but that's the thing… the claws I get but these other things I can do, those freak me out! I mean what if I hurt someone by accident?" He spoke solemnly as he did not relish the thought of hurting anyone just by shaking their hands or simply waving hello.

"Ranma…I realize that you are afraid that you may end up doing that but that is also natural, when I first manifested my abilities I ask myself the very same questions."

"How did you deal with it Doc?" The teen asked as he admitted to himself his fear of these abilities but did not voice it out loud. Old habits die-hard after all.

"Well my mother supported me through it all and I worked very hard to control my abilities, in time I came to accept that no matter what these powers didn't change who I was…" Tofu paused as he looked at his young friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder "…Ranma your powers don't define who you are, only your choices can do that and I know you are a very honorable and kind person."

Ranma thought about the doctor´s words and saw some truth in them.

"Thanks Doc." The young man replied with a smile, his mentor and friend reciprocated.

"You're welcomed."

"So any luck finding this Xavier guy?" Ranma asked as he got up while hoping to change the topic.

Tofu had come by the name as he studied the journal and from what he read he could be a possible ally to them or a means for the young man to gain control.

"Funny you should ask, let's go inside so I can explain it to all of you." Tofu replied as he got up and headed to the kitchen where the two women and the servant were now.

"Mom! The Doc has some news for us!"

"Coming!" She replied as she and the rest of the household went to join them.

Soon they all sat at the common room table and got ready to hear what the man had to say.

"Well a friend of mine who works in the Diet couldn't find anything on Sinister but he did manage to come through for me on the name Xavier." The good Doctor spoke as he produced a manila folder from a bag they saw carrying earlier.

He passed them to Nodoka, who proceeded to open it up and saw a picture of a bald man in a wheelchair. There were also newspaper clippings where he spoke of themes such as the next stage of evolution of man, human and mutant co-existence among other things.

"His full name is Charles Francis Xavier; he runs the Xavier School of Gifted Youngsters in a small city called Bayville, near New York."

"What does it mean by Gifted?" Konatsu queried.

"If we use the journal as a basis then it is safe to assume that he means it is a facility where he trains mutants to help them control their powers and try to coexist with the rest of humanity." Tofu replied to the male kunoichi.

"Why hasn't there any word about this place in these clippings?" Ranma asked next.

"With the way the world acts towards mutants I am not surprised that it isn't advertised." His mother replied this time

"Oh…right." Ranma forgot about that.

***Man, what is everyone's problem? I mean why hate someone because they were born different, that's just stupid…I can't believe the Tendo's are mutant haters.***

It hadn't been easy to swallow that he could not show up there because he was born different, that hurt more than finding out that Akane had cheated on him. Frankly he stopped caring about her in that way after a while what with her anger and trust issues.

"Is there a contact number?" Ukyo asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"None he could find without giving himself away, he was using government contacts for personal use and couldn't risk getting caught, but we know where it is and that the person who runs it is on the right side if the law."

"But does that mean I have to go there?" Ranma asked with some trepidation, normally he wouldn't show this much emotion but the last year had affected him greatly.

His mother and sister sensed this and placed comforting hands on his own.

"It may be for the best Ranma, we have no way of knowing whether this Sinister survived and is planning to reclaim you." The doctor spoke as he too saw the weariness in his eyes.

"But what if he goes after Mom or Sis?"

"True, we haven't considered that possibility." Tofu murmured as he stroked his chin in thought.

***Hmm, maybe Shiro can help? He does owe me a favor.***

"We could go with him." Ukyo suggested.

"We shouldn't make any plans just yet, besides if what I heard about the city is true it may not be as safe as we think."

"Why? Is there a problem?" Nodoka asked.

"I can't say for certain but I investigated it a bit myself and found that there have been sightings of a group of mutants operating there, some believe they are called the X-men and use their abilities to help out against others who abuse their powers. And…" Tofu paused as he had to word the next part carefully.

"…And?" Nodoka asked while her children leaned in.

"One of them is reported to having and I quote 'foot long metallic claws'." Tofu finished.

"You mean…?" The Gunshin matriarch said with a tinge of hope.

"It is just a possibility but Ranma's real father could be a part of this group."

That left them stunned at the possibility. Nodoka and Ranma processed that for a while. For Nodoka it meant the chance to reclaim something she had missed for a long time, if she were honest with herself she truly had no feelings for Genma she simply had tolerated him until she had enough of his abuse of her son.

Ranma was thinking on what he could learn from the man, thinking him as his father was difficult but frankly any man couldn't be worse than Genma…

***Hell I'm glad we left the fat panda, bastard brought me nothing but trouble since he took me on that godforsaken trip! Serves him right he didn't get a cure.***

"Sooo what should we do?" Ranma finally asked.

"Travelling there is our best shot to not only have you trained in these abilities but also to find your father, perhaps he even knows of this Mr. Sinister." Tofu replied after weighing all the pros and cons.

"Hmm, that could be difficult with Ranma's new appearance." Nodoka spoke as she looked at her son.

Ukyo, Konatsu and Tofu had to agree with her there, as the boy´s physical appearance had been altered . He looked more like a 19-year-old than 17, being 6'2" rather than 5'6 it would present a problem since he now did not match his passport picture.

"Well I could eat some of those age mushrooms."

"No, if what I heard of those mushrooms is true they could very well kill you now that your bones fused to the metals this mad man used." Tofu spoke as quite frankly he was still trying to wrap his head around the concept.

***What in God's name could have possessed someone to create such a procedure?*** The doctor thought as his logical mind told him that it would be useless unless the subject had the same healing factor Ranma and his Father possessed.

"Well I know some people who could bail me out." Ranma muttered.

"Who?"

"Well, the guys in the Photo and computer clubs at Furinkan owed me a favor after I saved them from a bad deal Nabiki dumped on them with some gangs I had yet to clear out, since they should still be there they could probably do something."

"You sure that's a good idea? Nabiki may find out about you." Ukyo spoke as she knew that the Ice Queen had her hands in anything that may bring her a profit.

***Especially now that it's senior year for her, meaning she will try to squeeze the money out of everyone there.*** the chef thought.

"We ain't got a choice Ucchan; I go in, talk to them and get out."

"What if they try to sell you out?"

"Maybe they will or maybe they won't either way I have to try." Ranma spoke as he got up and headed for the exit.

"Be careful!" Nodoka warned.

"I will!"

_Meanwhile…_

In one of his back up bases the man who once was known as Nathaniel Essex, now Mr. Sinister, was addressing his henchmen both newly cloned as well as recruited.

"Do you understand the mission?" He asked as he finished showing them information on the target and what he could now do.

"Yeah, you want us to go after this mutant you upgraded." Scalphunter replied to his employer.

"Be easier if we gutted the little shit…" Ruckus muttered as he had reviewed the surviving tapes of Ranma's fury and therefore saw his death.

"I want him alive!" Sinister shouted, his eyes giving off a menacing glow.

"Right! Sorry boss."

"That is precisely why I am having this mission led by Scalphunter…" Sinister nodded to the metal covered mutant.

"Did you study the information I gave you?" He asked his people, getting nods all around.

"Good, I want you to search every square inch of this damned piece of land, check the airports, the train stations, bus stations…everywhere, go now!" He ordered watching as his minions left.

"Only a matter of time." The mad scientist thought.

However something else loomed on the horizon that would put another hitch in his plans.

_In an unknown location…_

Deep within an underground facility, hundreds of men and women labored over computers and catwalks as they worked diligently under supervision of several military personnel.

Each of them specialized in diverse fields of mechanics, physics, metallurgy, robotics and genetics.

What could be so important that required so many people of such unique background?

The answer would be found in the 20 foot tall machines known as Sentinels that unlike the cumbersome designs the Americans or Russians had built, were sleeker for better speed and mobility, sharing a different color scheme of red and black.

In a way they resembled the Ninja of old with their sleek configuration which went straight to the point considering there only purpose was the destruction of mutants.

The head of the project was one Shingen Nakamura, who was seeing development of the targeting software.

Walking towards him was a man dressed in a General uniform of the JSDF, Takashi Matsuri.

"Ah General, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"We may need to push the timetable for the Sentinels Shingen."

"What? Why ? Has something happened?"

"Possibly…" the General spoke gravely as he overlooked the machines "I had reports of an explosion in the forests outside of Hokkaido, from what I read of the reports it's possible that we have mutant sleeper cells hidden from us in plain sight."

"Kami! How could we have missed them?" The scientist spoke with shock.

"I don´t know, I have carefully been monitoring the Diet for anyone who may suspect us for what we are doing here, so it is understandable that we may have missed some."

*Sigh*

"I still don´t see why the do not realize the threat they pose to our way of life."

"The fools believe we should use them as tools since the American treaties deny us the use of an army, but they fail to see them as a stain upon our noble ancestry and purity." The General spat venomously.

"Well once our new Sentinels come on-line and take care of them they will see…" Shingen spoke with pride as he gazed at them.

"How many have you managed to produce?"

"A dozen since we must work meticulously to make sure they are perfect for any encounter, thankfully their smaller size and more efficient form make them easy to produce."

"Will they be able to handle the aberrations?"

"Oh yes, they are armed with the latest weaponry as well as shielded against the most common types of energy projecting mutants and are being able to withstand a beating from any mutant with super strength above class 30." Shingen said proudly as extensive testing had been done before and after production began.

That brought a cruel smile to the General´s face as he imagined the shock the freaks would have when their powers were useless against them.

"Good, have them ready if we need them."

"Yes sir, I shall begin arming them immediately."

***Japan shall be strong once more, we will show have no need of these abominations.*** The General thought.

_Furinkan High school…_

Ranma had managed to sneak inside the school using the Thief's cloak; thankfully he could still use the technique despite the slight concentration he had to use to avoid activating any of his abilities.

Slipping inside the place where the computer club dwelled after school Ranma patiently waited for them to arrive.

As he did he thought back to that terrible day it all changed for him…

_Flashback…_

Ranma was resting near a small river in the forest where he decided to take a break and practice some of the teachings he learned with Herb.

In this case it was the Dragon prince ability to use his ki to levitate and dive bomb his foes.

He stood ramrod straight with his eyes closed and focus his internal energies to the task at hand. It was difficult since he did not have the vast wells of power the Dragon blood gave the prince of the Musk.

A blue glow surrounded him as he rose a few centimeters in the air…it held it for five minutes.

"Still need more power." He said to no one in particular.

"Well I'll try again later, maybe the old perv can help."

Deciding to move onto another goal he looked for any large rocks or a cliff wall.

He soon found a boulder surrounded by trees.

***Huh? That's strange…why would this be here?*** He thought for a moment before shrugging.

One of the things he started to practice after the wedding was learning from his opponents…or least Ryoga and Mousse, Kuno didn't even register as someone worth learning from.

From Mousse he slowly figured out how he hid so many weapons and started to practice it until he could carry a fairly well amount, nowhere near his level mind you but he wasn't a weapon user.

He had already learned to launch Ki attacks, so he tried to increase his mastery by not using emotions as a trigger or how to draw Ki in from his surroundings. The first was harder than the latter but progress was made.

Training in the Breaking point was painful but well worth it if it allowed him to withstand greater punishment, add in the fact that Ranma did not limit himself to simply one finger and he was most definitely pleased with the results.

Case in point he had his hand spread out over the boulder.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!"

*BOOM!*

Unfortunately this had the effect of cracking the ground, thus Ranma found himself falling into a shaft.

***CRAP!***

It wasn´t a long fall thankfully but he could tell that something was wrong the minute he landed. From where he stood he was in a long corridor with cables lining the walls.

He was about to call out for help when he heard footsteps approaching…loud, heavy, metallic footsteps.

He soon saw the cause of them as six machines appeared, they looked like the Terminator except they didn't have the skull for a face but faceless features.

-Intruder detected, initiating capture. — They spoke as one before advancing.

Ranma saw this as a challenge and charged them; the first to reach him tried a right hook only for him to duck underneath. Ranma countered with a shot to the body but cringed when his fist struck the metal.

***Shit! I've hit steel girders that are softer than these things!***

Despite the pain the machine did sidestep from the force of the blow, allowing another to take its place and try to grab him. Ranma grabbed the outstretched limb and performed a perfect Judo throw while quickly delivering a side kick to the second machine.

A third machine attempted to punch him but again he grabbed the appendage and twisted himself towards the machine who had no choice but to be flipped on to the hard ground.

A fourth took a Ki blast to the head destroying half its face and causing it to fall in front of the other two.

As he turned to face the remaining machines his world exploded in pain as one of robots on the floor grabbed his leg and pumped him full of several volts of electricity.

"AAAAGH!"

It seemed like an eternity before he collapsed on the floor.

When he woke up he found himself strapped to a metal table with metal bands around his arms, legs and chest. A light snapped on suddenly rendering his sight useless.

"Well, well… I see you are finally awake…" A man spoke, though there was something odd about his voice.

"Let me go!" Ranma yelled as he thrashed and strained to get free.

"Hmm, now you really shouldn't come into people's homes uninvited and then think you can order them around." His captor spoke.

"It was an accident…your stupid robots attacked me!"

"Well of course they did that is their purpose…though it seems that this little accident has left me something to ease my boredom."

"What?"

"Your body shows some interesting quirks and the fact that you manage to take on my robots with a dormant X-gene simply surprises me."

"I'm the best and when I get out of this thing I'll kick your sorry ass!"

"Brave words boy…now as I was saying you did this things with a dormant X-gene so I've decided to see what will come about should I activate it, of course I have to make some small alterations if you are too survive…they will be quite painful but science demands certain sacrifices." Ranma could just here a sadistic undertone when he spoke of inflicting pain.

"Up yours Jackass!"

"The name boy…" The voice spoke as its source stepped into the light revealing a deathly pale man in a black segmented suit with a red gem in the center of it as well as a smaller one on his forehead, on the back seemed to be strips that arched before falling, blood-red eyes and a fanged maw completed the ghoulish appearance.

"…Is Mr. Sinister."

_End Flashback…_

That was when his torment started and his life took a turn for the worst.

Before more dark memories could come he heard footsteps coming towards him. He cloaked himself once more and waited for them to arrive.

"God damn it Tendo, I can't keep doing this shit!" Spoke a young man he was familiar with.

***Takeru…and it appears Nabiki is still up to her old habits.***

"Now, now Takeru-kun, it's not my fault that I have people still asking for Ranko…even if they are doctored photos." The ever dismissive tone he had come to find as the Ice Queen of Furinkan came next.

"Yeah right Tendo…" A girl's voice came next "…what about forcing MY club as your damn information gatherers even after we paid off our debt."

***Yoko Shikima, man even she is still stuck under that bitch's thumb.*** Ranma thought as they entered, Nabiki remained the same with her page-boy style haircut, while Takeru still wore his hair loose while his uniform shirt was still hanging out of his pants and Yoko had worn her hair into a ponytail and seemed to be filling out in some areas.

"I can't help it…you get better results than some of my other employees."

"You mean slaves…" Takeru grumbled.

"No matter…do you have my pictures?"

Muttering several choice words about her family he got out a folder and handed it to her

"Here! 50 pics of Ranma topless."

***That bitch!*** the young mutant seeded in anger yet still did not make a move.

"Pleasure doing business, and Yoko I want you to trail the old man he's up to something I can feel it."

"Grrr…Fine!"

"Bye kiddies." The mercenary spoke with a satisfied tone as she ignored their glares.

"Motherfucking bitch!" Takeru snarled as he kicked a chair in frustration.

"I don't know how much more I can take of her Takeru." Yoko spoke in all honesty as the mercenary's attitude was starting to wear her down.

"Well then I came at the right time…" Ranma spoke as he faded into view.

"Ahh! Ghost!" Both screamed and ran to the nearest corner.

"I am not a ghost!"

"Uh…mutant? Not that there's anything wrong with that…" Yoko spoke quickly hoping not to attract the ire of the man before them.

"Jeez…gone a year and nobody remembers me." Ranma replied as he chose not to confirm her comment…yet.

"Ranma?" Takeru asked as the man removed the hoodie.

"Give the man a prize."

"Ranma!" Both yelled happily as they ran up to him.

"What the hell happened to you man! You got big!" Takeru spoke.

"And more handsome…" Yoko said earning a pair a looks "…I said that out loud didn't I?" she finished with a blush.

The former Saotome sat down on a desk, motioning for them to do the same.

"Well guys what happened was…" And so he explained in detail what occurred to him at the hands of Sinister, he told them he was born a mutant and that he had been experimented on. He showed them his claws and his metallic form to prove his story.

They were silent as they tried to process what their former classmate and former protector had revealed to them in confidence.

They were no strangers to the bizarre and weird thanks to him and frankly he brought a level of excitement in their lives…him being a mutant didn't really affect their views on him, they got used to him changing into a girl and this was just another change.

Yoko launched herself at him and cried for him while Takeru was still gaping.

"What kind of sick freak is this guy? I mean he practically played God on you!"

"Don't have to tell me man…I lived it." Ranma spoke as he comforted the girl.

"Well…" *Sniff* "…whatever you need you can count on us, we owe you for saving our bacon and I for one plan to repay that debt." Yoko said while her friend nodded as well.

"Well then I have the perfect way to do it, I need traveling papers, passports, ID's the works. Now I know you guys are good since Miss Ice Bitch is using you…something I'll have to take care of before I go."

"Well it will be tricky but I can manage." Yoko spoke as she was already going over what she would need.

"Dude I am the counterfeit master! My stuff is gold, heck I'll get you all the info you need and no one will be the wiser." Takeru smirked.

"Great…How long do you think it will take?"

"Hmm two days for me to get it just right, let me get a picture first." The girl spoke.

"A day tops with my buddies helping." Takeru replied as Yoko snapped a picture with her portable digital camera.

"Great! That leaves me plenty of time to square things away." Ranma spoke with smirk as he planned to pay a visit to Nabiki and square things away with the pig and the Tomboy.

"What are you going to do to her?" Yoko asked.

"Less you know the better." He replied before he faded away from sight.

"Damn that is one nifty trick." Takeru spoke.

"Boy do I feel sorry for Nabiki…Not!" Both shared a good laugh at that before leaving to find the others.

_Back at the Gunshin residence…_

Ranma had returned without much incident, there he saw Happosai waiting for him.

"Your mother told me you paid some friends a visit, got what you needed my boy?"

"In a couple of days I will. But first I need to take care of a little problem for them involving Nabiki and maybe deal with the Pig, I may not a vindictive person but that asshole has some payback coming."

"Normally I would approve but while you seem to be handling your new additional weight your powers could be a problem."

"I know but I can't just let this slide, Nabiki is worse than ever and that bastard abused my honor while he reaps the benefits."

Nodoka came in at that point having heard her son's words.

"Ranma though I understand the need to right these wrongs Nabiki commits, I must ask if you must truly risk your safety to face the Ryoga and Akane."

"Mom…I have to do this…" He said as he looked at her in the eye "…I gave everything I had for her and she spat it in my face, and he abused my honor for his own gained…" He clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

Nodoka could see the anger in him and walked up to him and brought into a gentle hug that brought him out of it and look at her.

"Then do what you must my son…just don't beat them TOO badly, hmm?" She spoke with a smirk he wore all too often, he returned it.

"No promises."

"Well I tried." Nodoka spoke with a shrugged.

"Now I know where you get that moxy from." Happosai spoke before laughing hard.

_The next day, Tendo Dojo…_

Ranma stood before the gate of the Tendo dojo where he used to live before his life took a turn for the unexpected.

He dressed in black cargo pants, combat boots, a black hooded jacket with a face mask around his mouth and a black trench coat. To help hide the rest of his face he wore a black domino mask that hid his blue eyes.

"Challengers seeking to do battle go to the back and ring the bell, those visiting knock the front gate." He read out loud.

"Humph! I'll show them battle." He spoke dryly as he made his way to the back gate, seeing the rope there he rang it three times and waited.

_Inside the dojo…_

The Tendo family hadn't changed much since Ranma's disappearance though in some ways they seemed to get worse.

Akane still had an air of arrogance that she was the beast martial artist though it was by default, something her boyfriend fully supported despite him being the better of the two.

Nabiki had begun to heavily extort people seeing as her cash cow had gone missing, though she preferred this as Ranma had got more and more defiant each day.

Soun hadn't changed much at all, though he did breakdown when Ranma was missing and Nodoka ended the pact due to Akane's indiscretion but Genma acted quickly enough to make Ryoga his heir and save it.

Kasumi wasn't as lucky, she had lost some of her smile after a chance meet with Doctor Tofu while visiting a friend in Juuban. She was a bit surprised to see him act normally around as he often acts so silly when she asked how he was and if he would ever return to Nerima.

His answer was a seemingly forced "fine" and that no he would not return since there was nothing there for him anymore.

That saddened her yet also aroused confusion since when he said that it was as if he found something unpleasant.

Genma took the Lost Boy as his new heir, though Happosai would never consider him such and often took pleasure of reminding them that Ranma was the TRUE heir of his school and not some simpleminded brawler, worse yet Ryoga's condition did not allow him to be trained as much as Ranma often did.

Since school was out they were all gathered in the dining room eating lunch when the bell that signified a challenger had come.

Kasumi got up to meet the person, she slowly opened the gate and took and took an involuntary step back at the black clad figure, totally unaware of who it was.

"I'm here to challenge this dojo; my name is…Shurei."

"Oh! Please follow me then." Kasumi spoke as she regained her senses and led him to the dojo where the others were gathered.

They soon arrived to the dojo, siting at the back was the Tendos, Genma, Ryoga and Happosai. The last sitting on a cushion smoking his pipe.

"Father, this man has come to challenge the dojo."

"Good afternoon to you sir." The Tendo patriarch spoke.

"Likewise..." Ranma replied neutrally "…name's Shurei."

"Will you not give your family name?" Soun asked.

"No."

"Why not!" Akane snapped as she found it disrespectful.

"…feisty little thing isn't she?" He quipped.

"Why you…!" Akane seemed ready to jump him.

"The reason I do not share my full name is that I learned the hard way that a reputation is a bad thing in this lifestyle, hence why I only give out my name and hide my face." Ranma spoke in a serious tone to them.

"I see…very well then what are the stakes of the duel?"

"Nothing, I simply wish to test myself in the place that Ranma Saotome trained in." He spoke, earning a scoff from Akane and Ryoga while Genma muttered something of ungrateful son and wives.

"You heard about him?" Nabiki asked hoping to learn more about the challenger.

"Yeah, stopped by his Mother's house…" Ranma spoke seeing Genma stiffen "…hoped to face him but said he was missing for a year, so she told me about some places he used to train at and who he beat, though I do wonder about that eight headed dragon or the Phoenix she mentioned."

Akane and Ryoga mimicked Genma as they were present for those situations and knew that Ranma had indeed proven how good he was even if they wouldn't admit it.

"So I heard of this place and figured I might as well see if it lives up to the hype."

"I see…very well then we accept your challenge, Akane go get ready."

"I thought you were the master?" He asked out loud though he scoffed mentally.

***Master of the perpetual crying maybe.*** Ranma thought to himself, though again he had to be careful since he never knew when he was projecting or receiving thoughts until it was too late.

"I…um…the thing is…"

"Hey! Are you saying I'm weak!" The youngest Tendo shouted while her boyfriend restrained her and glared at him at the same time, her emotions allowed for a clear thought to come to him.

***Stupid perverted boys! Why can't they be more like Ryoga?*** Akane broadcast easily enough making Ranma roll his eyes.

"No I didn't, I asked if he was not the master of this dojo." He replied while exerting more control in blocking out her thoughts, last thing he needed was a headache.

"Ha! He wishes the man is so rusty a barrel of WD-40 wouldn't help him." Happosai laughed out loud regardless of the death glare Akane sent him or Soun silently weeping.

"Well if that's true then we might as well this show on the road, I'll wait here for her to change." Ranma spoke as he removed his boots.

After a couple of minutes Akane returned in her yellow gi and headband.

Happosai officiated the match and stood between the two, Ranma in a loose boxing stance so as not to give himself away, Akane stood in a karate stance that left plenty of holes he could spot.

"Begin!"

As expect Akane charged him while he stood there.

***Humph! He isn't even ready.*** she mentally cheered as she raised her fist.

However because his face was covered she couldn't see the smirk on his face.

Akane never saw him move as he grasped her arm and used her momentum and his hips to flip her onto the floor in a classic Judo toss. It did not end there as Ranma maintained the hold on the arm to twist it back hard and keep her grounded.

Those who knew the old Ranma would think he would never do such a thing to Akane or any of his female opponents, however he learned the hard way that women could be dangerous when Sinister had him fight Arclight, who took the opportunity to break as many of his bones as she could just to hear his screams before they became unbreakable.

Akane yelled in pain as Ranma held her down; Ryoga got to his feet but was dropped back down by Happosai.

"No interfering during a formal challenge Bacon breath." The old man spoke as he bopped him on the head with his pipe when the boy growled at him.

Meanwhile Akane had problems of her own as Ranma kept the pressure on her pinned arm, her free arm was beating the floor since she had neither the leverage nor strength to overcome her assailant.

"Yield." The former Saotome spoke calmly.

"NO!"

He started to apply more pressure and thus increasing her frantic movements and cries.

"Yield…now."

"Y-you…che….AGH!" Akane screamed as her arm was bent further.

"Yield!"

"I yield! I yield!"

Just as quickly he released her and stepped back, the girl quickly scooted away while cradling her arm, it wasn't broken or dislocated but she would be sore for a while.

"Winner Shurei!" Happosai declared.

"He cheated! He had too! I am the best martial artist in Nerima!" The youngest Tendo yelled.

"Oh be quiet whelp! You lost, deal with it." The aged old grandmaster spoke as he got off Ryoga.

Ranma calmly headed towards his footwear while mentally counting down from 5.

"YOU! I challenge you in the name of the Tendo and Saotome schools!" Ryoga bellowed just as he reached two.

"And who are you?" He asked feigning ignorance.

"Ryoga Hibiki heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial arts!" Ryoga spoke proudly.

"…Who?" Ranma replied with a blank stare, not that they could see it.

"I just said my name is Ryoga Hibiki!"

"…Oh! So you're the perverted pig who always lost to Ranma Miss Ukyo Gunshin spoke of." Ranma replied while internally laughing as Ryoga crashed into the floor.

"I am not a pervert!"

"But you did lose to Ranma; I know that for certain since I did my research before coming here." 'Shurei' replied neutraly, though he mentally laughed.

Ryoga growled through his clenched teeth as he was reminded that he had not defeated his hated opponent the last time they met, in fact after Jusendo not once had he gotten close.

"Are you a coward or will you take my challenge?"

"Fine just another stepping stone to me." Ranma replied as he turned and walked back to the center of the dojo.

Ryoga stomped to his place and both took their stances.

"All right second match! Between Ryoga Hibiki and Shurei, and there better not be any interference or I am taking it out on both the challenger and the meddler." He spoke at a still hurting Akane who glared at him.

"Begin!"

Ryoga started off just as Akane with a right hammer fist Ranma ducked under, the Lost Boy then went with a left faint followed by a right cross to the jaw that managed to hit.

A muffled clang was let out and Ryoga had to back away as he shook his hand to regain some feeling in it.

***Kami! Does this guy have ironclad bones!*** He thought with shock as he tried to recompose himself.

This thought was repeated as Ranma retaliated with a right cross of his own that was evaded and followed by a left back and to the face.

"Ugh!"

Ranma followed it spin kick to the abdomen area that caused the perpetually lost boy to double over while Ranma stepped back.

Ryoga´s thoughts waere close to the mark as Ranma's metal covered bones did add weight to his strikes; add in the fact that his muscles had to adjust to the weight meaning he had greater strength than before coupled with his own breakpoint training.

Ryoga launched himself again at his opponent leading with a mid high kick that was batted away and was followed by left hook to the face that was dodged with a simple back step by the agile foe.

***Hmm, seems like those extra hours we put in fixing his balance paid off.*** Happosai thought as his student was nimble dodging his slower foe.

"I thought you were the heir to the Saotome School?" Ranma asked while deep down he scoffed as his old rival had yet to do a single thing remotely close to his school.

"I am!"

"Yeah right…" Ranma scoffed as he went on the offensive careful not to activate any of his abilities while also applying pressure to his opponent.

He launched a high kick to the face Ryoga ready to block though that proved to be a mistake as Ranma quickly diverted the kick to the ribs and then to the thigh in rapid succession.

"Agh!"

"…You haven't done a single damn aerial maneuver since we started; I thought that what was Ranma was good at." The young man rebuked as he continued his assault by grabbing the lost boys left arm as he tried to mount a counter attack and proceeded to humble him with a jab to the abdominals followed by an uppercut to the face.

Ryoga could not for the life of him retaliate as it felt as if his endurance and fortitude was shattered by the blows. Jab, Uppercut, Jab, Uppercut, the sequence repeated as Ranma pushed the young man to the back wall.

Once there the bloody and weaken Ryoga tried to attack once more with a pathetic left hook that Ranma used to flip him much like Akane onto the floor.

"UGH!"

"Had enough?" Ranma asked, though from the feeling of heavy Ki in the air it was obvious that the eternally lost boy was not about to surrender. So Ranma stomped on his stomach to prevent the impending Shi Shi Hokodan and grabbed an arm and a leg…dragged him to the middle of the floor and began to spin him around.

"Take a bath!" He shouted as he launched him directly through the locked door and into the koi pond.

*SPLASH!*

"RYOGA!" Akane shouted as she ran to retrieve him.

"Winner by ring out Shurei!" Happosai clamored while the others were in shock.

"He beat Ryoga!" Genma cried out.

"I expected more frankly." Ranma said as he went to get his boots just as Akane came in with a bloody and soaked pig.

"Well what did you expect Genma…" The old man sneered at his now quivering student "…the boy gets so lost he can't possibly trained, and Akane is so weak she is an embarrassment to my school and to the name of martial artist."

"Take that back!"

"Shut up you brat! My school had but one true heir and I see now that if it is to survive I must seek him out." Happosai declared just as Ranma got up and towards the exit.

"You interested by any chance?" The Grandmaster asked though he was actually after the plan they came up with.

"Thanks but no thanks, I got my style and I plan to see how far it can take me, see ya losers." And with that Ranma left the angered and bewildered Tendo's behind.

"Drat! Oh well better get packing…" Hapossai spoke and moved to leave but not before facing his students "…you are an embarrassment to my school and myself, I forbid you use my art ever again and so help me if any of you defy my decree I will show you all Hell!" with that said he left.

Ranma was at the gate when he sensed someone behind him, from what he could sense due to using a very limited amount of telepathy the person was thinking of money to be gain of him.

***Fuck, it´s the Ice Queen.***

"That was some fancy moves Shurei…" Nabiki spoke casually as she walked up to him "…course you´ve gone and ruined us so I think some compensation is in order."

"What?"

"You owe my family for humiliating us, so I figure you can work for me and make up the difference." Nabiki spoke with a haughty tone and a smirk on her lips.

Ranma was not amused and showed this by walking up to her.

"Or else you´ll do what?"

"I can make your life a living H…GURK!" She never saw the hand that was now choking her.

"Sometimes it is hard for me to control my strength…" he spoke calmly as she struggled "…especially when I am angry." He spoke seriously, though there was a rumble of thunder in the distance.

***Keep it together man! Do not lose it now!*** He chided himself.

"GAH!" She let out as he increased the pressure slightly.

"Now you will leave me the fuck alone you money-grubbing bitch or so help me I will unleash Hell on YOU!" He snapped at her before roughly pushing her away and turned and left.

***Man I need to finish this soon and get some damn control.*** HE thought as he rounded the corner and cloaked himself in the Umi sen ken.

_The next day - Tendo residence…_

Ranma got up early to check the dojo, wearing the same clothes he used yesterday in the duel and watched as everyone inside left. Kasumi for grocery shopping, Akane and Nabiki for school, Ryoga went to the bathroom and promptly got lost and Genma and Soun went for an early binge having lost track of the Grandmaster.

***Now is the time*** He thought as he started to make his way inside.

Having lived there for a good while he had a pretty good idea of the layout, and in the fact that he watched Nabiki as she worked in her room under the Thief´s cloak, he knew where she kept her stash hidden and what safety features she had.

He kept watch if the pig made a quick return from wherever he had ended up. Entering the middle Tendo daughter´s room he saw that it retained her standard layout.

Carefully he walked towards her closet and moved the clothes; there on the right was a poster of him and his girl side back to back.

***Cute…*** He thought dryly before he carefully peeled it off and saw the panel that hid her safe. Remembering the combination she used was surprisingly her birthday he opened to see that it some stacks of money, pictures, ledgers and folders.

Taking everything inside, he made sure he covered his tracks and left just as quietly. He had some people to see about getting some payback.

_Later at Furinkan High School…_

Ranma had soon arrived to the computer lab where Takeru and Yoko where waiting for him, there he informed on just what he did to Ryoga, Akane and Nabiki. He had both rolling on the floor at the image of a rebuffed and terrorized Nabiki.

"Oh man…" Takeru began to speak as he wiped away some tears "…that was awesome man."

"Yeah…" *Snort* "…the high and mighty Nabiki Tendo…Ice Queen of Furinkan…manhandled like a wittle baby, ha ha ha!" Yoko laughed long and hard at that image.

"Well I'm glad you approve…" Ranma said to them before reaching into stuff space and pulling out the documents and ledgers he purloined from the mercenary's vault "…and this should really help you out."

"This is the stuff I found on you guys…" He gestured to the objects he pulled out and placed on the table "…the rest I want you to deliver to their respective owners, and for what's left I'm going to mail it to the police let them deal with her."

"For real! I mean is this really what she has on us?" Yoko asked hopefully.

"Yep. I didn't look at it if you're wondering."

"Nah man I knew you wouldn't you're way too nice and honorable, makes me wish more people were like you." Takeru spoke honestly as he took his folder.

"I don't think the world would survive long if that were the case." Ranma joked.

"Ranma…" Yoko started as she approached him "…you are that and so much more, heck you trusted us with your mutant status, you protected us from bullies and now have freed us from Nabiki's hold." She finished as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You are good guy Ranma..." Takeru took over "…I wish I could be like you and be able to do the impossible on a daily basis. I just know that you are going to be great at whatever you do and…I…I am going to try to be like you and never let anything stop me from achieving my goals."

"Me too!" Yoko spoke next to him.

"Ah guys…" Ranma blushed and rubbed his pigtail in embarrassment showing there was still something of the old Ranma in him.

"Now then since you've given such priceless gifts…" Takeru spoke as he walked towards his file cabinet and pulled out a folder.

"Here's a present for you." He finished as he handed over the documents.

Ranma took the folder from the boy's outstretched hand and flipped through its contents, finding everything from dental records to his last school classes and grade average before he went missing with an updated folder. He also found a medical record that explained he suffered from a glandular problem that left him looking older than he looked and the presece of metal plates in his skull.

"And here is your new passport…" Yoko spoke as she handed it over "…trust me no one will suspect you here or upon arrival. Unless someone is really paying attention or if you are suspected of something you are good to go."

"Yeah well… being a mutant is definitely hiding something…" Ranma spoke loud enough to be heard.

"Yeah…I guess it is, but I know for a fact that the Americans just finished talks about mutant registration and voted no on the subject, so at least you have that going for you." Takeru said to his friend.

"Yeah…I guess you're right." The young mutant spoke as he took his information and placed it in a ki pocket for travel.

"So I guess this is it then." He spoke solemnly to the two.

"It was fun while it last man, you ever need any help from this side of the world you just ask me and I'll get my team on it." Takeru spoke as he held out his hand for a shake. Ranma did so before turning to Yoko…who promptly glomped him in a way that would have made Shampoo proud.

"You take care of yourself!" Came the muffled statement from the photographer; the sudden dampness he felt clearly showed him she was crying.

"Sure thing Yoko." He spoke as he returned the hug.

Breaking away from her he nodded at them before cloaking himself and leaving them alone.

"You think he'll be okay?" She asked.

"Ranma is a fighter, if could survive half the shit that happened to him here then yeah he can make it…" Takeru spoke before smirking "…I just hope that whoever meets him can survive him."

Yoko nodded before they both began to erase all evidence of their activities.

_Later on the outskirts of Nerima…_

Ranma was calmly walking through the warehouse district instead of his usual roof hopping. He had made sure to leave the documents at home before deciding to see Nerima one last time, thinking back on every adventure and disaster he had gone through during his tenure there.

***Man, a part me is happy I'm leaving this place but a small part will miss It.*** He thought as he strolled…only to stop when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Before he could pinpoint the cause the wall next to him exploded followed by the sound of a loud scream.

"AAAHHH!" He yelled as he flew right into a vacated warehouse. He stood up a bit unsteady to look at his aggressors.

Upon seeing them he saw red, shifting into metallic form and releasing his claws…a deep rumbling growl and baring his teeth in anger. There stood Ruckus, Arclight, Blockbuster and Hairbag.

"Got you now bastard!" Ruckus yelled as he prepared another scream only to be stopped by Arclight.

"He's mine! Call Sinister!" She yelled as she ran at the metallic mutant who snarled at her before charging in as well.

"Go help her!" The pink haired mutant ordered the other two as he pulled out a cellphone. Shockwaves being heard as the two fought.

"Boss! We found him!"

-Where!—

"Nerima warehouse district! The little shit is giving us trouble!"

He ducked as a thunderbolt flew above him.

*BOOM!*

-Do not lose him. I am sending the others to your place, remember I want him alive.—

"That may not be the problem since the bastard isn't making things easy!" He ducked again when Hairbag was sent flying overhead.

-I don't care how you do it idiot! Just do as I say!—

*CLICK!*

"Fuck!" Ruckus spoke before throwing the device away and entering the fray.

_Back at the underground base…_

"Sir! We're getting reports of mutant activity near the Nerima ward!" One of the technicians yells as she gets of the phone.

"This is it people!" The General speaks loudly as he makes his way to the main control room, Shingen already there and barking orders.

"General the Sentinels are armed and ready."

"Input the last known coördinates and let the scanner do the rest…we will show this mutant scum the fury of our ancestors, for the purity of Japan!"

Those in the control agreed whole heartedly as they manned their stations.

Outside in the launch bay the Sentinels activated. Their red unblinking eyes shined as they activated and slowly walked to the launch bay. Thunderous footsteps ringing throughout the complex as they all moved into place.

"Clear the pad! Sentinels are in the green…LAUNCH!" Shingen spoke as the room slowly trembled when the Sentinels propulsion rockets on their feet and backs activated. Soon all twelve machines escaped the hidden base, their on board computers began to follow their programming upon activation.

-TARGET: NERIMA WARD—

-ACTIVATING SCANNERS—

-MUTANT PRESENCE DETECTED—

-RESPONSE…TERMINATE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE—

To be continued…

And now the second entry of the Sinister Journal.

_Project Amalgam has begun…I find myself thrilled at the possibilities that can be gleaned should it succeed. With a batch of super mutants I shall no longer have to look over my shoulder like some filthy vermin._

_Of course everything hinges on its success…shame the boy cannot see the grandeur of what he shall become, a pity that but his compliance or approval is of little to no result. _

_The first steps of the process are by far the most difficult…the grafting of the foreign DNA sequences into the host sequence. My earlier attempts starting from birth ended in failure because the body could not adapt to multiple X-genes becoming active simultaneously._

_The next attempts fared better with the discovery of subjects with the ability to replicate the abilities of others, however after a 15 year period their bodies burned out under the strain._

_Not even those with a healing factor could survive for long…it was maddening!_

_So I shelved the project until such time I could resolve this matter…which is now thanks to my…assistant. His healing factor is by far the most powerful I have ever seen, what's more he can empower it further as he has the unique ability to manipulate his own bioenergy and that was before I had it forcibly awakened his mutant power. _

_But I digress…I administered the first sequences into his body soon after he was recovered from his awakening. The two sequences I found that suggest the highest chance of success belong to a pair of mutants on opposite ends of Magneto's so called War._

_The first belongs to a girl called Rogue, her ability to fully mimic mutant abilities is most fascinating though offset by the fact that it is temporary duplication and prevents the subject from skin on skin contact. Xavier fails to see the potential she has, if she were not so well protected I would have liberated her for my own uses._

_The second set belongs to a young man Magneto has dubbed Mimic, quite àpropos actually since he shares a similar ability to Rogue except it allows him use the abilities indefinitely until such time he chooses to release them from himself, however this is offset by their rather diluted strength._

_By weeding out their flaws and combining their strengths I will have a means by which I can easily implant the next batch of sequences…in fact I already have the first candidate in mind…Quicksilver, his incredible speed should be a real asset to the project… should the boy survive of course._

_Well no time like the present to find out hmm?_


	3. Chapter 3

Codename: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

The reviews shall be answer at the end if the chapter. Also thanks to FG for Beta reading this for me on such short notice.

**WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS, CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE AND CHARACTER DEATH. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED… **

This was inspired by the Fic called The Evolution; it was a shame that the story wasn't continued it was a very good as far as Ranma/Marvel crosses go.

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 3:

The battle was still going hard by the time the rest of the Marauders and Nasty Boys made it to the designated location. From what they could tell Arclight was the only still standing as once more Ruckus had been killed, evidenced by the smoking hole through his chest, while Hairbag was on the ground minus one leg.

"Kill…him…" The bleeding mutant spoke weakly but there was no doubt that despite the weakness, he was still strong enough to carry out that threat.

"Ah shit! Not this again!" Gorgeous George lamented as once more the boy, if he could even call him that, was in the grips of a feral rage.

***At least he isn't bloody meowing!*** the tar like mutant thought as already he could tell this was a fight he could do without.

"We capture him alive! No excuses!" Scalphunter ordered as he already assembled a sniper rifle from pieces of his armor.

Ranma despite unleashing his fury on Arclight, who quite frankly was looking more and more bloody, was well aware of the new arrivals.

The reason for his bloody tactics and animalistic fury could be found in Mr. Sinister's attempt to alter his mind. The unexpected mental strike the mad geneticist had caused the portion of him where the cat persona resided to alter itself as a defense mechanism in the face of his tormentors and psychic intrusion.

Like any wounded animal would do in the face of death it fought to survive and to do so it employed everything at its disposal. For even though the Cat persona had no idea what exactly these abilities were, there was an understanding of how they could help.

Though not fully controlling the mutant powers it had been given unwillingly, there was some form of… instinctual knowledge to use the metallic form for added protection and grant him greater strength while using his claws for close quarters and the lighting for long range.

This was by no means a fully unleashed Neko Ranma, proven by the fact that Ranma still knew how to fight with HIS combat style making him hold his own as the battle grew more volatile.

"SON OF BITCH! Just go down already!" Arclight snarled as she slammed her foot into the ground and sent a shockwave of earth towards him. She hoped that this will finally end that bastard's defiance, but she knew that until that did happen, she was not holding out much hope in that.

He responded in kind as he used a revised version of the Bakusai Tenketsu, by placing his hand on the ground and channeling his Ki forward and striking the rupture points in the ground.

*BOOM!*

His own shockwave collided with hers and canceled each other out. Ranma rushed towards her but jumped away when a gun blast almost hit him, he traced it back to a man covered in metal and parts he hadn't seen before.

***Probably another of Sinister's goons.*** Ranma thought with anger at mere thought of the man, indeed he would make them all pay.

He was about to move to intercept but wooden vines suddenly sprouted from the ground and entangled his legs.

"That be for Ruckus boyo!" A long black haired man spoke, wearing a blue trench coat and dark clothes underneath and wielding a wooden cane that was pointed at him. This being the plant wielding mutant known as Ramrod.

"Grrr! You're next asshole!" The young mutant snarled heatedly as he slashed the vines, eager to slash, rend and tear into this idiot who stopped him.

"Not likely punk." Another man spoke just as he was suddenly tackled with great force into a nearby wall that caved in as a result.

The enlarged mutant Slab and the Marauder Blockbuster smirked at the results of their work, however their celebration was cut short…

"Moko Takabisha!" as two orbs of golden Ki shot out from the hole.

"Argh!" Slab cried out followed by Blockbuster.

"Oof!"

Both mutants fell back from the unexpected counter attack. Before they could regroup Ranma shoulder tackled Slab hard in the chest with all his super human strength, a sickening crack was heard as the large mutant's sternum broke.

It was then that he was struck several times by some high speed shuriken thrown by Riptide that actually pierced his metallic body.

*Screech!* the horrible sound of metal on metal came loud and clear as they found their mark.

"Son of a…!" Ranma yelled in pain as several of the projectiles embedded themselves into his body despite the durability he gained in his metallic form.

"Ah poor little baby…" The man spoke in mock sympathy "…did that hurt?"

"Motherfucker…"

Ranma muttered darkly as finished pulling out the weapons and grabbed Slab before spinning 3 times and hurling the large mutant at Riptide who was bowled over by the force by which he was thrown.

"Ugh!"

"Did THAT hurt!" Ranma fired back as he stared at the wound.

***Kami that hurt!*** the son of Logan thought as he wished he could heal in his metallic form.

Blockbuster got back up and threw a right hook at the teen, though said teen ducked under the lumbering brute and stabbed the man in the elbows with his claws.

*Splurt!*

"AAAHH! MY ARMS!" Blockbuster shouted in agony as he thrashed side to side causing more harm than good as the action served to make his wounds even worse than before.

"Not so tough now huh bastard!" Ranma yelled as he fiercely pulled them out, the swept back curved edge causing more damage to the Marauder and earning more pain filled screams as muscle and bone was now shredded.

Ranma ignored the screams as he then spin kicked Blockbuster away, though losing some agility and speed given his metallic form his strength and endurance more than compensated as the man flew straight into the same hole he made when they tackled him.

"Blind side me will…" he didn't get to finish as a spear of energy exploded next to him.

*BOOM!*

He flew a few feet away and shook the cobwebs out of his head as he turned to glare at a man who wore a black jumpsuit and had a large assortment of harpoons on his back and one in his arms.

***Do all of these bastards have to take pot shots at me?*** Ranma thought with much anger as he got to one knee, if fact he almost missed Scrambler try to get a hold of him…keyword almost.

His right leg lashed out with claws extended and racked the stomach of the man whose mutant abilities would hamper his own.

*Splurt!*

"GYAH!" Scrambler fell back as blood flew out of his stomach as the deep cuts let it flow freely.

"If you think I'm letting you take me back to your shithole you can all kiss my ass!" Ranma hissed as the still battle ready fighters began to surround him. Ranma still kept himself ready should the rush him. However fate decided to up the ante once again…

The sounds of jets erupted around the mutants as the Sentinels finally arrived and landed in a circular pattern around them one by one.

"Ah shit! Sentinels! Are you fucking kidding me!" Prism shouted as he and the other villains looked at the imposing machines.

"Why in the Hell are there Sentinels in Japan!" Riptide yelled as he began to spin.

-MUTANT LIFE SIGNS DETECTED… BEGINNING TERMINATION SEQUENCE – All the Sentinels spoke as one. They lifted their arms and from their forearms and shoulders an assortment of miniguns, missile pods, and laser canons appeared.

Ranma summed up the situation perfectly…

"Ah fuck!"

It was at that point all Hell broke loose once again as the gigantic machines fired at all the mutants present.

Ramrod and Prism were the first to fall as a hailstorm of bullets and missiles cut them down to shreds.

"SPREADOUT!" Scalphunter yelled at his team as he assembled more weapons. No easy feat mind you when you are ducking and dodging explosions and gunfire.

***Got to regroup! We are out of our element here!*** His military mind screamed at him.

*BOOM!*

"ARGH!" Scalphunter was thrown back by a stray missile he failed to spot in time.

Ranma had to contend with three Sentinels stalking him; military grade bullets pinged of his form leaving scratches and minuscule dents that were starting to add up.

***Shit! I'll be Swiss cheese at this rate!*** He thought as he fired off two streams of lighting at the armored behemoths, scorching and slightly melting their armor off.

-WARNING! MUTANT EXHIBITING HIGH VOLTAGE DISCHARGE…COMPENSATING. — With that said all three machines were encased in a violet energy shield that deflected the lighting.

"Ah fuck me!" Ranma yelled as the switched from firing bullets to focusing on laser blasts.

*ZZZZAATTT!*

Multiple explosions went off around him as the laser tore up the ground, those that hit their mark left the areas glowing slightly red from heat.

***At least I haven't melted yet!*** He thought, some pain was still present but he ignored it since he needed to concentrate on surviving this onslaught.

"Come on you stupid powers!" Ranma snarled as he shielded his face from incoming fire "…give me something to work with here!" his demand was answered when metal from the debris and spent bullet casings started to rattle and flew towards him.

*CLANG!*

Unfortunately it stuck to HIS metallic body...

"FUCK!" He swore loudly before another laser blast caught him in the chest. Thunder rumbled in the distance as clouds started to gather around the area.

The Marauders were faring just as badly as Ranma since this model of Sentinel were more developed than their previous version.

Harpoon held his weapons of choice in his hands and charged them with energy.

"Harpoon! Throw them here!" Riptide shouted over the blasts.

The Inuit mutant did so as he hurled them at his teammate, once Riptide held them he began to spin at velocities only a tornado could match before he hurled them at the heads of the two Sentinels.

One struck the eye cavity of the mutant killing machine while the second one took the shot in the area where its mouth should be. Seconds later the harpoons shaped energies glowed bright…

*BOOM!* *BOOM!*

Both machines where engulfed in smoke before their headless bodies fell.

"Got you!" Riptide yelled in sadistic glee, while Harpoon simply continued to fight.

Back with Ranma and his fight with the three machines was finally going his way, after having the debris blasted off him he decided that a direct approach was needed and charged in claws at the ready.

"Come on you stupid machines! Time to go that junk pile in the sky!"

The young mutant shouted as he reached the first of his metallic opponents and slashed at its legs. The metal easily gave way as the adamantium laced claws and incredible strength proved to be too much for the armor the Sentinel used.

-WARNING! STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY COMPRIMISED!—

***I hope that translates into 'Oh sweet Kami my legs!'*** Ranma thought as he viciously ripped and shredded the insides of the right leg.

The Sentinel quickly moved its left hand to snatch up the young man that was damaging it, despite its considerable size it moved rather fast and nimbly. However Ranma saw it coming and managed to jump over its hand and sunk his claws into the forearm.

Once there he dug in the claws at his feet for added grip as the Sentinel shook its arm in hopes of dislodging him but the design of the claws helped him hold on.

Once it realized that it was not making any progress it stopped and moved to grab him with its free hand, once more failing to catch the boy who had retracted his claws and moved to the laser cannon where he proceeded to grip the sides of the weapon and pull up hard.

*SKREECCHH!*

The stress proved too much and the cannon was torn off, however Ranma saw the other two Sentinels make the choice to destroy the mutant at the cost of the Sentinel he stood on. They aimed and fired a barrage of laser and missile fire regardless of how close he was to the Sentinel who deactivated the energy shield and allowed itself to be hit.

"ARGH!" The barrage destroyed their robotic compatriot and flung him away, shrapnel caused more scrapes and dents on him.

He landed next to Hairbag who was by now too weak to do anything other than make comment.

"Heh…heh…enjoy…flight?" The feral mutant mocked weakly.

Ranma got his wits about and glared at him, he shifted out of his metallic form with some effort, partly because of the damage he incurred and the cat mentality not desiring to relinquish the protection it granted.

"You tell me!" He shouted back as he grabbed the hairy mutant by the sides of his uniform, spun him around and threw him at the two Sentinels stomping towards him.

"AAAAHHH!"

Hairbag's scream didn't affect the mutant hunting machines as one easily swatted him aside with surprising speed and great force.

*CRUNCH!*

Like a puppet whose strings were cut Hairbag landed dead on the ground with most of his bones broken and pulverized. There was no doubt he was dead as the impact alone would have shattered every bone in any being's body unless they had their bones reinforced to the tenth degree…or had adamantium in them.

Ranma made a quick survey of the battle and saw the remaining Marauders and lone Nasty Boy dealing with the rest of the Sentinels. Two of the remaining nine broke away to aid in attacking the youth.

"Shit! Day just keeps getting better and better…" as if in response to his mood it began to rain and the sky boomed and flash with lighting "…Great. I just had to open my damned mouth. Kami I hate it when I get foot and mouth disease."

Ranma finished glumly as he charged the machines that began to fire on him.

"Fuck this man!" Gorgeous George yelled as his powers were less than effective since he could not damage the armor of the machines.

"I agree with him Scalp! Let the damn Sentinels deal with the little bastard!" Arclight shouted over the loud footsteps as she sent another shockwave at the one of the machines.

Scalphunter took stock of the situation, they were down to half their numbers, Harpoon was out of weapons, Riptide's attacks were barely scratching the machines and Arclight was too wounded to be of any use.

***Sinister will have our hides for this…but we have a better chance of living with him than letting the damn machines kill us.***

"Arclight! Riptide! Make a diversion we are pulling out!"

Both mutants nodded and made their moves, Arclight summoned all her remaining strength and slammed her fists hard into the ground causing the ground to quake and crack, Riptide spun quickly and engulfed the Sentinels in debris hoping to block their sight and sensors.

Ranma saw this and cursed since now he had to deal with the deadly machines on his own. The ONLY consolation he was getting was that at least the bastards who Sinister sent after his sorry hide had scrammed.

This prediction proved true since they all turned their attention to him when the remaining mutants successfully fled and since he was the only mutant in sight range, they were all going to go after him.

The youth was not one to back down from a fight but that was when he had some semblance of control with both himself and his opponents. Now however he had an unknown quantity what with the lack of control over his powers and the enemies being sophisticated machines designed for hunting mutants.

"Not going to stop me though…" He said to himself as he ran at them forgoing the protection of his metallic form for speed in his natural one.

The remaining Sentinels fired at the teen with their heavy ordinance, gunfire and explosions engulfed the area as the machines attempted to carry out their primary objective.

Ranma was weaving and dodging as best as he could though some bullets and debris did clip his objective was clear…destroy the machines before they killed him.

Unfortunately his lack of control became a factor once more as his super speed kicked in just as he was a good 20 feet from them.

"SHIIIIIIT!" he yelled as he slammed hard into one of the giant robot's leg.

"UGH!" with a painful grunt he fell back on the ground.

***Oh Kami! At least I didn't snap my neck this time.*** Ranma thought through the pain he was in as he spat blood and only blood for which he was thankful. Sadly the Sentinel he crashed into chose to take advantage of this opportunity by reaching down and grabbing him.

The young man grunted in pain as he shifted to his metallic form, this only served to make the Sentinel squeeze harder in an effort to crush him like one would an aluminum can.

"PROCEEDING WITH TERMINATION." The soulless voice of the towering machine spoke with finality.

"Grr…Let me go!" He shouted at the machine as he tried to pry himself loose, as he did this the storm clouds that had been gathering were now growing in intensity and were soon joined by fierce winds and powerful booms of thunder.

Ranma fired several bolts of lightning but the Sentinel activated its energy shields once more. He concentrated on his magnetic abilities but the Sentinel remained unresponsive and even seemed to increase the pressure that his metallic body began to screech from the stress.

***Shit, shit, shit! I can't die here! Not to some fucking machine!*** Ranma's mind cried out in defiance that the storm seemed to respond to it.

"WARNING…ATMOSPHERIC ANOMALY DETECTED… MAGNETIC FIELDS IN FLUX…MUTANT TERMINATION NOW PRIORITY ONE." It spoke as it raised the laser cannon to the point at its captive.

"No…No…NOOOOOO!" Ranma shouted as his metallic eyes glowed with a blue electric light...

*KRAAAAAKKOOOMMM!*

As in response to his cry a large bolt of lightning fell and struck the machine dead center, the shields blew the instant it was hit followed by the machine's power being destroyed.

The Sentinel swayed side to side before collapsing with a resounding crash and boom as its body struck the earth.

The other surviving Sentinels paid that no mind; they were focused on the now floating mutant that had destroyed their comrade.

Ranma for his part was gripped in a feral rage as the storm grew in intensity and ferocity, lighting now struck randomly the area and on occasion the Sentinel who were trying to maintain their shields under the barrage. But against this many attacks from pure energy, there was no doubt that while they built for tremendous punishment, they were hardly indestructible.

"TARGETING SYSTEMS DAMAGE…COMPENSATING...REROUTING TO SECONDARY SYSTEMS." They spoke as they raised their laser cannons and began to fire.

Ranma unknowingly formed a magnetic shield that was taking the abuse from the blasts all the while the storm raged.

The continued attack only angered him further until finally the lighting storm he summoned unleashed a massive blast that would make anyone think the wrath of God had come down and smashed hard into whoever had done something to REALLY enrage the deity in question.

*BOOM!*

The last thing the Sentinels saw before their optic sensors exploded from the gigantic electrical and magnetic surge was the mutant they had provoked, if they the capability for it they would have felt regret for ever crossing paths with him along with the chance scream in unholy pain from the massive barrage of energy that slammed into them.

"RARGH!" Ranma screamed out in unbridled fury as the power of the blast enveloped him and bright light overtook him.

_Two hours later…_

The site of the struggle between mutant and machine was reminiscent of the war-torn land of Nagasaki and Hiroshima since all that seemed to remain of the warehouse district were ruins, craters and fires.

From the fallen remains of small abandoned warehouse rubble shifted as something moved underneath.

"Ugh…What…what hit me?" Ranma spoke as he lifted a slab of concrete of his back, despite the dried bloodstains and clothes that were little more than rags, he was unharmed.

The teen got his bearings soon enough and surveyed his surroundings.

"_Oh man…_" He whispered as he spied all the destruction.

Emergency lights and the gathering of people showed that some time must have passed since the battle.

"What have I done?" He spoke to no one but himself, the shock of seeing the destruction his power unleashed in his fury chilled him to the core.

***What did that maniac turned me into?*** He thought as he looked at his unmarred hands which trembled, but whether it was the adrenaline wearing off or perhaps from fear of what he could do when he lost control he did not know.

Those thoughts would have to wait as he saw a chopper heading in his direction, he started to run and for once he was clad his super speed kicked in as he dashed faster than the eye could see. He was in NO mood to be caught and tracked; his family would never find any peace if that happened.

Ranma did not know this yet but the events that unfolded this day would bring him to the notice of many people who would have a vaunted interest in him.

_Bayville, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Two days after the incident…_

It was the afternoon, and the students had returned from school to find the adults in the living room gazing at the news, curiosity got the better of them and soon approached to see what had them so transfixed.

Charles Xavier, the world's most powerful telepath, as well as the founder of both the school and the team known as the X-men sensed their approach and paused the images.

"Welcome home children." The professor greeted them warmly, with him stood his friends and fellow instructors.

Ororo Munroe the African weather witch, her white hair shining in the sunlight that filtered into the room, giving an interesting contrast with her dark skin. She looked towards them and favored them with a warm smile.

Hank McCoy, a man whose visage earned him the name Beast, a brilliant mind trapped within a bestial from. He is a combination of knowledge and power as he aids the children as a teacher, healer and confidant. He cheerfully greeted them as they arrived.

Logan, a man gifted with keen senses, a rapid healing factor and a set of indestructible adamantium claws along with his skeleton lined with the same metal alloy, though such a procedure was done without either consent or consequence as it took from him his memories of his past.

Though considered quite the slave driver to the opinion of the New Mutants and the younger X-men, he was tough on them in an effort to better prepare them for a world that viewed them as threats. He did so because that was his way of showing he cared…though he hid that well, he simply gave them a look before turning his attention back to the TV.

The three adults watched over them as if they were their own flesh and blood. For in them they saw the future of humanity and mutankind.

These young men and women who were there to learn to control their gifts, the mutant powers that granted to them by the single X-gene in their DNA makeup. Forever kept apart from the rest of humanity that feared them for what they were: Children of the Atom.

Scott Summers unable to control the powerful optic blasts that was both his gift and curse, with but a mere look he could level a tank which earned him the name Cyclops. He often took the burden of leadership with team, some thought he was too high-strung at times but knew they could count on him to be there for them.

Kurt Wagner, the self-proclaimed "magnificent" Nightcrawler, with the uncanny power of teleportation, agility and balance that would make an Olympic athlete green with envy as well as his demonic looks that forever separated him from his fellow humans.

Jean Grey a mutant with great telepathic and telekinetic abilities that seemed to be ever growing, something that often caused her to fear losing control. Her power was only matched by her beauty, heart and courage.

Storm's nephew, Evan Daniels better known as Spike, able to produce spikes and other sharp instruments from his very bones. A bit of a cocky trouble maker but a loyal friend and teammate.

The young woman known as Rogue with the mutant power of absorbing the memories and powers of anyone she touches, forever preventing her to known the simple joy of a human caress.

Kitty Pride AKA Shadowcat, able to phase trough solid mater like if it wasn't there and often trying to maintain a happy disposition on the team…much to the chagrin of her roommate Rogue.

Also with them were the latest additions to the school the group called the New Mutants.

Robert Drake, also known as Iceman, with the ability to both convert his body into ice as well as manipulate his chosen element, he acts as both the occasional leader and prankster of the group.

Amara Aquilla, Magma to her teammate´s and a powerful pyrokinetic who is able to manipulate fire and lava, she hails from a hidden society in the jungles of Brazil. Often coming off as upstart she acts as a counterbalance to Iceman´s joker like nature.

Sam Guthrie or Cannonball as he is called on occasion, a southern boy with a good heart and a somewhat clumsy nature that sets off his powers which allow him to project a virtually impenetrable and indestructible shield of energy that allows him to fly and plow through virtually anything in his way…whether he means to or not.

Rahne Sinclair, Wolfsbane to friend and foe alike, this Scottish lass was gifted with the ability to shape shift into a both a wolf and hybrid form, though she often struggles to find her balance between the human and animal mentality.

Roberto da Costa, codename Sunspot for his ability to absorb solar energy and convert it for his own use. A slight over achiever but a good friend too many of the residents there…when his temper doesn´t get the better of him.

Ray Crisp, a troubled youth who has earned the name Bezerker for his hair trigger temper, little is known about where he spent his youth and he isn´t about to share with anybody, his power over electricity is similar to his nature wild and untamed.

Jubilation Lee or Jubilee as her close friends often call her is a mutant with the ability to fire off powerful "fireworks" that can serve as more than mere entertainment for the masses, she shares a similar attitude to Kitty with an equal love for the mall.

And finally Jamie Madrox AKA Multiple, a veritable one man army with a kind and care free attitude. Being the youngest member often means he is looked down upon but he takes it in stride and proves himself handy when many are needed to get the job done.

Here in this sanctuary they were all given a chance to live a life as normal as possible, though on those rare occasion the senior students had to go out and defend humanity from mutants who believed their gifts gave them the right to lord over humanity. That along with the normal struggle of normal life, made them live interesting times.

"Hey Professor, is there like something going on?" Kitty asked as she too was curious what had all of them worried.

"As a matter of fact yes Kitty…" Charles replied as he looked at them calmly despite the worry he felt from the news he was watching "…please everyone, have a seat." He spoke as he turned to face the TV once more, the other adults followed suit.

The young men and women did as asked and once all were comfortable the Professor pushed the play button.

They all looked at the devastation on the screen making them wondered what happened to cause such destruction, all located in Nerima, Japan.

-This is Trish Tilby reporting to you live from The Nerima ward in Tokyo, Japan. —

A brunette woman who looked to be in her 20's spoke, behind her could be seen lots of rubble and machinery at work as well as police and government agents.

-As you can see behind me are the ruins of the warehouse district on the outskirts of the ward…- The camera panned the scenery.

-Reports are sketchy but initial studies showed that an unexpected and massive electrical storm appeared from out of nowhere and, for lack of a better word, annihilated the area. However that was later refuted with the latest discoveries, we warn you that the following images we are about to show you are not suitable for younger viewers.—

The next images made the students gasp as they saw two large bodies being carried away, one had been burned badly but there were still patches of unblemished skin. Another set of images showed them a foe they had recently come into contact with, albeit in a non-combat situation, and hoped never to see again.

-As you just witnessed, this seemed to be the sight of battle between mutants and Sentinels, as you may know the UN banned the use of the Sentinels when the U.S first implemented them with the existence of mutants being revealed. –

Stock footage soon appeared and showed the massive Sentinels attacking and killing several people…some of them the age of Jamie and Rahne much to the disgust of many of the students and staff.

The teens cringed at the reminder of the monstrous killing machines. Logan growled when he looked at that, he would have to have a little chat with Fury since the head of SHIELD specifically told them that Trask was in custody. This little stunt in Japan was more than ample proof that Fury may as well just screwed them all over.

-However with the clear gross violation of human rights and millions of dollars' worth of damages the program was seemingly shut down and all participants arrested for crimes against humanity. However as you can see it seems that some did not adhere to this ban.—

Images showed a spokesperson fielding questions on behalf of the Diet could be seen.

-A press release issued by the Japanese government stated that under absolutely no circumstances was the creation of Sentinels neither approved nor funded with the sanction of the Diet or the Emperor himself. This leads many to believe in the existence of dissident factions within the regime, the Japanese government has called for the aid from the UN, Interpol and SHIELD to find and bring the culprits to justice.—

-One thing is certain the growing conflict between humans and mutants as just escalated once more, only time will tell how the world will react from these events. From Nerima, Japan this is Trish Tilby signing off.—

With a click the screen went dark.

"What do you think Professor?" asked Storm with worry clear in her voice.

Charles steeple his fingers as he looked at the situation from every angle possible.

***This is most distressing, Cerebro did not register any new activations from the region so that rules out any newly awaken mutants, but then again it did register a massive energy signature on par with both Storm and Magneto*** The Professor thought before he was broken out of his thoughts by Jean's voice.

"Professor?" Storm asked wondering if he was asking himself the same question she did the day she felt something tapping into the flows of nature.

Sighing Xavier shook his head before looking at his surrogate family, now was not the time to speculate and cause needless worry.

"Right now there is nothing we can do about this. We will have to have faith in that this hysteria recesses and cooler head prevail."

"But professor…" Spyke spoke up next to his aunt with some concern in his voice"…In the news they said that those mutants were killed by the Sentinels. Aren't you concerned by that? I mean what if there are guys building some here too?"

Xavier looked at Ethan and the others who shared his opinion, truthfully he was worried as despite assurances by Coronel Fury that all research material had been seized there was no guarantee someone else wouldn't build the machines designed to hunt and eliminate them.

Current events showed as much, they would be have to be cautious with how they operate.

***Erik will more than likely use this to rally more mutants to his cause, we may have to step up the New Mutant's training to better prepare them.*** Charles thought before addressing his charges.

"Of course I'm concerned Evan, but right now I also worry about those who fought the Sentinels. For all we know they could have recently awakened their powers or worse lost control of them, let's not forget that some of us had their gifts awaken in a less than stellar manner."

Some in the room shifted nervously while Scott and Rogue shared a look.

Even if Scott had it easier than her with his glasses and visor holding back his power, both lacked control over their abilities, and while Rogue's was more close and personal his was highly destructive.

The Professor saw that his point struck a chord in some of his students and continued speaking

"We all bear a terrible responsibility, not only towards other but towards ourselves. The powers that we have could easily corrupt those that are pray of the fear and hate. Think about Magneto, about his powers; about all the things he could do if he used them for the common good."

He paused, sighing.

"Sadly few will see their power as something more than a way for more power and a means to instill their brand of order."

Ororo looked at her mentor with eyes full of concern, admiration and tenderness. Softly she spoke "Are we going to search for survivors Charles?"

Xavier seemed to consider it.

"I would like nothing more but we wouldn't know where to search, even with Cerebro it may be too difficult. Also the situation in Japan right now is much too dangerous to attempt a rescue mission with so little information. It would be like searching for a grain of sand in the desert. We can only hope that the situation does not escalate further and pray for their safety." Xavier replied while mentally going over possible contingencies should it come to that.

_In the snowy peaks near Arrow Rose…_

The X-men weren't the only ones to take notice of the situation in Japan as the Master of Magnetism along with his acolytes watched the news feed from a communications console form within their hidden base.

Erik Lensherr or as he called himself now Magneto, took an open interest in the affair.

***Once more the foolish homo sapiens prove how trust worthy they are in the face of extinction, Charles you are a fool to place your trust in them.*** Magneto fought as he look at the wreckage that were once Sentinels.

His Acolytes also watched on with varied reactions.

Sabertooth, formerly Victor Creed, Logan's savage rival and former member of the Weapon X program simply saw it as another chance for some…fun with potential victims. With increased strength, a healing factor that could rival Wolverine's as well senses to match he was one foe no one wanted to cross lightly. It only made it worse when one considered the fact that unlike Wolverine, Sabertooth had NO aversion to killing anyone, and actually liked it.

Australian mutant Pyro formerly St. John Allerdyce who was far from anything saintly, was a pyrokinetic who while could not create flames could manipulate them to serve his needs. He thought it would another grand time as far as he was concerned. And the chance to fry some new targets served to make the Pyrokinetic mutant all the more pleased.

Remy LeBeu or Gambit to some who he did not manage to exasperate with his devil may care attitude, just took the situation in stride. He was charging cards with kinetic energy before letting it dissipate. He was no fan of the Sentinels and the chance to use his powers was not too bad an idea.

The melancholy Russian known as both Colossus to his unwanted teammates but to his family he was Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin, simply took the situation in stride. Having been granted the ability to shift into metallic steel form that gifted him great strength and endurance, he was forcibly conscripted into Magneto´s war in order to protect his sister. He would have wanted nothing from Magneto but with his sister's life on the line, he swallowed his morals and ethics to serve the mutant terrorist.

As the transmission finished Magneto was left wondering on the events, obviously more of his people were caught in the war however something puzzled him.

***Where did they come from? My agents haven´t alerted me to any new awakenings in Japan and to take on a Sentinel requires much training to even survive a confrontation...or great power.*** Erik thought about the oddness of the situation.

It was at that moment that the console from which they had witnessed the event came to life once more alerting him that one of his agents was calling.

With a mere wave of his hand the call came through.

"Report."

-It´s Destiny.—

Magneto immediately stood at attention, anything the precognitive mutant had to say was always vital to the cause. And he was not going to take any chances since it was his mission to ensure that Mutants would no longer have to hide in fear…damn the consequences to the humans.

"What have you seen?" He asked neutrally prepared to take any and all details conceived however her answered surprised him.

-That´s the problem, my powers tell me the future is in flux…I take it you´ve seen the news?—

"So the incident in Japan is the cause of this…flux?"

-Not the incident, one of the participants. — Destiny replied with a hint of frustration.

"There were no reported survivors."

-None they could find. All I can tell is that one of the participants has caused an upheaval…one I cannot see through.—

That did not sit well with the self proclaimed leader of the mutant race.

"What can you tell me about this individual?" Magneto asks her.

***I will have to see if we have anyone available to investigate the area.*** He thought as he mentally went over a list of possible candidates.

-There in lies the problem, whatever it is this person has it is not a mutant power but something else, something that lies within that causes this random probability. It causes overlapping possibilities that I cannot compensate for.—

"Is it threat to us or a possible ally?"

-I don´t know…the scales could be tipped to either side by the choices made. I suggest caution or else you may find yourself on the losing side.—

And with that said she broke off the call.

"_Tip the scales either way…_" Magneto muttered softly.

"Wha´ now boss?" Gambit asked.

***Dis´ sound like something we outta stay clear of*** The Cajun thought as it felt like whatever was coming would spell bad news for someone, and he hoped it wasn´t them.

"We approach this situation cautiously and wait until more facts to come to us." Their leader spoke as he headed to his personal quarters to contact Mystique, she may have already been apprised of the situation but it paid to keep her inform less she get…impulsive again.

He was under no illusion that she still held a grudge against him for the events on asteroid M as well as the incident in the castle and he was not going to even touch the events concerning Rogue or her son Kurt.

***She will eventually see that MY way is what shall ensure the salvation of our people. Or else another lesson will be need to teach her not to defy me once more.*** Erik thought as he reached his objective.

_Location unknown, time unknown…_

Deep in a dark cavernous area a hooded figure could be seen moving through the shadows lit only by the lights the torches hanging off the walls.

The walls seemed to indicate a dry and barren location, possibly Egypt by the hieroglyphs on the walls.

The figure finally stooped in an area surrounded by four statues, a jackal, and eagle, a cat and a crocodile.

"Master I heed your call." The figure spoke as he lowered his hood and reveal a man who looked as if he was a living statue.

"Ozymandias…" A deep and dark voice spoke seemingly from all around the room "…though I slumber I sense stirrings in the world, specifically from the land of Wa."

"Master, I believe the traitor Essex has tipped his hand once more, information suggests several of his men confronted the Sentinels and lost some of their group."

"There is more to this than a pitiful battle with the human´s insignificant machines, the traitor is known for his cunning and treachery. Especially since he is aware of my plans to cull this insignificant world of the pathetic and weak, be they human or mutant only the strong deserve to live under my rule."

"Yours is the way Lord Apocalypse, what would you have me do?" Ozymandias asked of his master.

"Bring me one of his weak underlings; I would know what treachery is afoot. I underestimated the man´s quest for a warrior capable of matching me, in the end his mistake was my boon for my strength remains unmatched and increased." Apocalypse´s voice rang.

"As you can command, shall I begin search for a new set of horsemen?"

"No, the time is not yet upon us. Use the clan or the riders, I shall personally see to it my Horsemen are made ready, now go and do as bid."

"By your leave my lord." With that he placed his hood and left the area making plans to do as his master commanded.

Apocalypse watched from his chamber where he slumber yet staying aware, silently he thought over all the events that had taken place in world and their place in his conquest of the Earth.

"**Xavier dreams of a world of coexistence…** "

"**Magneto seeks to rule over humans…** "

"**Sinister seeks for a perfect being made to serve him…** "

"**The Hellfire Club seeks domain over all through guile and subterfuge…**"

"Fools…only I am fit to rule over the weak, only the strong shall rule. I shall stand over their ashes in the end; none may deny my rightful place as ruler of this world." The despot spoke with finality.

_Three days after the Sentinel battle, Narita Airport._

The Gunshin´s, Konatsu, Happosai and Tofu Ono were all standing outside of the airport. Ranma had his travel pack with him and a sizeable duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Do you have your passport? The doctor's notes for the metal and your age." Nodoka asked as she recalled Tofu giving the boy a detail note that explained the presence of metal plates in his body as well as a case of accelerated aging due to a genetic quirk from his youth.

She fixed the collar of the shirt he wore as she did getting her son to blush at her attention.

Again instead of his trademark Chinese clothing he just wore an ensemble that would help him blend in. In this case he wore black jeans and white sneakers, a red long sleeve shirt and a blue denim jacket.

"That and all the info the Doc´s friend gave us, the Journal so they know what happened to me and your contact info on where the Doc´s friend will have you staying at. By the way you are sure he checks out?" Ranma asked Tofu as he wanted to be careful with his family's safety.

"Trust me you don´t get any safer than a man working for the JSDF, much less a founding member of Big Hero 6." He replied.

"I still can´t believe you actually know Sunfire." Ukyo spoke out loud as the revelation that the man who provided the information and was allowing him into his home was none other the Shiro Yoshida AKA Sunfire leader of Japan´s premier superhero team.

"Oh me and Shiro go way back from our days in college as well as the time I helped heal him after that assassination attempt a couple of years back." Ono replied in a non serious manner.

"Yeah but you could have been a team member." Ranma spoke as he was quite surprised when he told them he turned down membership.

"I get enough adventures when you are involved Ranma. The last thing I need is another set of adventures." The doctor said with a chuckle at the end, earning an embarrassed look from the teen.

"Yeah...still take care of them for me." The boy said while looking at the Grandmaster.

"No worries there my boy..." Happosai spoke up next to the doctor "…between me and this Sunfire fellow you have nothing to fear."

"Thanks you old perv."

"I´m going to miss you Ran-chan." Ukyo spoke as she tried hard not to cry.

"Me too Ucchan, keep an eye on her Konatsu." Ranma said to the cross-dressing Ninja.

"Of course Ranma-sama."

"Well…" He spoke as he hefted his pack on his left shoulder and lifted the duffel bag with his right "…this is it."

"Be safe my son." Nodoka said as she hugged him.

"I will Mom…um; do you want me to tell HIM anything for you?" Ranma sked as they all knew what he meant by him.

"I can´t think of anything at the moment, but perhaps you could ask how he is for me?" His mother asked as the situation was quite frankly beyond her, she never expected to her from her self exiled lover. A part of her hoped there was still a piece of his heart reserved for her.

"Will do, I will see you all again you can count on that." He finally said with confidence many only saw in battle. He soon turned and entered the building, in a few hours he would be in the city where he would possibly gain some insight in his abilities and learn of the man who was his father.

To be continued…

And now the third entry of the Sinister Journal.

_The splicing was a success! The subject now has within him the genes that grant the son of Magneto his phenomenal speed. Of course the manner by which he exhibited this could have gone better as the subject nearly escaped._

_Upon regaining consciousness the subject immediately tried to escape after Malice foolishly undid the straps before he was taken to his cell. He then experienced a bout of speed that had him rush out of the operating room. Thankfully his inexperienced using such power led to him slamming into a support column at 120 mph and breaking several bones, his neck primarily._

_I had him strapped to a reinforced operating table while his healing factor mended the damage, this served to show me that after every operation the subject must be subdued and unconscious to avoid further mishaps as well get more competent assistants._

_In any case this showed that the subject CAN survive the procedure, now I had to carefully select the next strands carefully to ensure the perfect balance of offensive and defensive capabilities which shall make him the ultimate weapon._

_I have given him speed to go with his fantastic agility, now I had to focus on strength and endurance. For this next stage of the project I selected a young mutant I encountered in Russia, a veritable colossus if you will. His mutation allowed him to transform his body into organic metal._

_In order to test the subject's durability and strength I had arrange a "test" to see for myself his viability as a donor. I had Malice simply take over a drunk off the streets, put her behind the wheel of a moderately acceptable car and aimed it at the subject._

_It was quite the sight to see the vehicle crumple under the impact with his metallic form. Though I have at my disposal several strands that grant superhuman strength and endurance, there is something to be said of his abilities that make him a walking tank._

_Pity that Magneto has also taken notice of him, if the information I obtained is accurate he shall be acquiring him soon…shame he would have gone far in my organization. No matter I have all I need._

_As I pondered the possibilities how my rather unwilling guinea pig's body would look like transformed I found myself asking if his skeleton should be reinforced as its Father's? _

_The procedure did show several benefits when coupled with his remarkable healing factor, unbreakable bones that added weight to his blows and claws that could slice through near anything except the metal itself._

_However the downsides found were the increase in weight making swimming difficult and the vulnerability to electric and magnetic forces. In my project that would also mean that the subject's enhanced speed may become hampered._

_For weeks I went over many numbers and simulations to determine the best course of action until finally the answer came to me in the form of a recent scientific article I found on the net._

_It appeared that a formerly isolationist nation known as Wakanda had opened its borders to better interact in the global affairs of the world. I cared little for that useless prattle, no what caught my attention was the mention of one very specific commodity this small spec of dirt had in abundance._

_Vibranium, an element with the unique ability to absorb and redistribute kinetic energy. _

_If I could obtain some of this metal, place it onto my subject's skeletal structure after adding the Adamantium… it would most definitely eliminate the stress on his skeleton caused by running at tremendous speeds with the Adamantium alone._

_As luck would have it a small shipment of it was being sent to New York, more specifically the Baxter building, home of that team of mutated heroes. I moved quickly and had my people intercept it before it arrived._

_They ran into some resistance by way of some man with a fetish for dressing up as a jungle cat. He put them through their paces but they manage to get away with the Vibranium though not without their pride intact._

_With another piece of the puzzle secured in one of my hidden bases I paid a visit to my old stomping grounds in weapon X. It is a sad state of affairs how far they have fallen behind in bio weaponry research._

_I mean honestly, a clone of Wolverine? They have tried 22 times and all of them failed miserably…amateurs. I will give them credit in altering the genome to create a female version but that is all. Now that Omega Red fellow…his abilities intrigued me I made sure to take a discreet sample for later study. _

_I made sure that the Adamantium I...liberated would not be traced back here, this is a critical juncture of the project, and I simply cannot allow myself to be sidetracked by a gaggle of morally inclined do gooders._

_The procedure will have 2 stages with a week of rest between them, first coat his skeleton with the Adamantium, and secondly latticework's of Vibranium except on his claws and finally add the DNA of our Russian friend._

_Quite the challenge, but the results will be fascinating, I wonder though…should I use Sea snake or Cobra venom to slow his healing down for it to work? Decisions, decisions._

A/N: Well as you can some people have taken notice of our hero some good and most bad, if I can keep your attention then you will see more to come. I will say now that I plan to alter timelines and events in the second season.

Now to this point I have been following and altering the original concept of "The Evolution" story, however I will say that there will come a time when I will break away from so be prepared for that moment.

The X-men and Brotherhood identities are hidden for now despite the evidence that mutants exist. The revelation that mutants exist in Bayville is in the planning stages but I shall confirm that the Sentinels will be involved and our pigtailed friend will have a hand in it.

I am debating with myself just how much of his old life should be allowed into the Evo world, should I make the Kunos mutants? Should I turn Ryoga and Mousse into Reavers? Should Nabiki find out about Ranma's hand in her downfall and join the Hellfire Club for a chance at revenge? Or…dare I say it? Have Kasumi become a Purifier! These questions and much have been going around in my mind, would like to get some feedback from you about what would make good additions to it.

And to answer some reviews.

caffeineandshiny: The Mimic and Rogue DNA is used as a tether to the others X-genes in his body not to copy more power sets, I had Sinister take the advantages of those two and remove the weaknesses.

Yes Logan's reaction will be interesting… (Insert sinister chuckle here.)

PEJP Bengtzone V2: I know this; you know this but does she? Anyway it never occurred in the Evo verse since there was no Ms. Marvel there, even in the future visions was it shown so I am left in a quandary about that.

In regards to the Tendos, I would say bitch and moan would be their normal reaction.

Cardinel: Trust me when I say you are one of my kinder critics and do contribute to my story making. I should warn that sometimes my style will fluctuate so don't be surprised if one chapter feels different than another.

I won't lie to you; there is a possibility, a small one mind you, that I could write a variation of this story in the Mainstream Marvel universe involving the New X-men (Pre-Decimation) and the Young Avengers. NO PROMISES! I don't deal out false hope to anyone, I am not that cruel.

Wonderbee31: Yeah I don't hold out much hope either, it may seem stereotypical of me to bash them but after reading the whole series there were elements about them that always rubbed me the wrong way.

Tentai: Officially this me taking Lu Dragonlord's story The Evolution, and adding my own spin to the tale. Now like I said up until a certain point I will follow it while doing some additional work to it.

This Sinister is no alternate reality version or trying to stop Apocalypse; he simply wants to create the ultimate mutant and sees in Ranma a means to create the perfect enforcer and weapon.

Case in point, Ranma is powerful but where in Lu's story it was because of a single mutant power my story has him wield multiple powers albeit not simultaneously. Like his Apocalypse is partially active yet his presence is known only to Sinister who had previous dealings with him.

Yes the Sentinel appeared in the end of Season two and the Evo crew and mutants were revealed. Both in my and his stories mutants are already revealed but the factions in Bayville remain hidden from public view and yes they are in their teens.

Now I am mixing and matching up elements from X-men lore with the Evo universe since I've notice a growing trend in many fics of both the Crossover and Non-Crossover kind.

Pairings are tricky and it is too early to tell; the current options I can think of are Wanda, Lorna, Jean, Emma, Betsy and Rogue. I don't know if there are more available but I will have to plan this out carefully.

drake202: It is one of the things I am exploring while I write this fic.

That is all for now hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Also I need help in finding a couple of stories that either have been removed or simply ignored, can't remember their names but I would appreciate any info you can provide.

One is a Bleach Time Travel fic, Ichigo and Unohana are cut off mid transit in the Garganta while Yami is fighting Byakuya and Kenpachi. He merges with the Hollow while she merges with her past self; he loses Zangetsu and must now wield Muramasa. Later on Yamamoto appears and makes him the head of the 13 court guard.

Second fic is a Ranma Multi cross most noticeable elements seen are Bleach, Sailor Moon and Negima. Ranma is bonded to a demon. They both break away from the NWC, they have a run in with the Senshi, then the Shinigami and finally Negima crew.

Third story is another Ranma fic where Ranma allows himself to be killed by the crew, while his soul is in the dojo several factions of heaven and hell appear. That is all I know of the story, possible AMG! Involvement.

Hope you can help out, Peace out.


	4. Chapter 4

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

This was inspired by the Fic called The Evolution; it was a shame that the story wasn't continued it was a very good as far as Ranma/Marvel crosses go.

Still looking for a Beta reader, good with grammar and can help with the flow of the story. Official routes have been tried and have failed, I am reduced to using the unorthodox...big surprise there T_T

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 4:

_On board a Greyhound bus on route to New York…_

The trip to the western shores of the United States was rather uneventful for the former Saotome. His oversea flight was thankfully calm... though the fact that several beautiful women had offered to make him a member of the Mile High club.

He had been ignorant when his mother suggested he should accept their offer, though he later blushed rather profusely when Ukyo clarified what a woman meant when she made such an offer.

***And women say men are horny perverts!*** He had thought at the time.

He had a slight panic attack when asked about his medical history, or in this case the notes Doctor Tofu had made for him showing he had had a growth hormone imbalance in his early childhood as well as metal "plates" present in his body.

However he employed the Soul of Ice to calm himself and answered their question, they soon let him go asking him to get a medical bracelet to let people know about the metal.

As soon as he left LAX he chose to rest at a nearby Hotel to get rid of his jetlag and eat up. For once he had money to spend on a decent place thanks to his Mother giving him access to the family account.

There was enough money in there to make Nabiki drool, of course he wasn't about to announce it to the whole world and he only needed enough to buy food and transportation to get to place where the school was located.

Deciding not to press his luck with more airports, he travelled by bus or train. The thought of using his powers did not really appeal to him as he discovered early on when he attempted to use his super speed to travel.

The results were both painful and embarrassing.

_Flashback…_

"Okay this should be simple enough; I mean I just run, how hard can that be?" The raven haired young man spoke out loud.

He was currently near a bus stop in the outskirts of LA, thankfully it was nighttime and no one would see him as he tried to exercise some control on one of his abilities.

He took off at a run one would expect from Nerima, however soon enough he was accelerating at speeds that rivaled most race cars.

"HA! I'm doing it!" He shouted as his speed grew, however he failed to noticed a hole in the ground in front of him hence the following results were expected as he tripped and began a series of painful flips onto the hard asphalt.

"Oof!" *CRASH!* "OW!" *BOOM!* "Son of a….!" *SPLURT!* "Kami!"

Once he finally stopped he looked as if he had been run over repeatedly by herd of Buffalo.

"_Okay…_" Ranma rasps as he tries to get up while his wounds quickly began to heal beneath his torn and bloody clothes "…_I think I should wait until I get to that mutant school._"

_End Flashback…_

After that incident he decided to patiently wait until he could train with the experts…and perhaps his father.

We find our hero watching the scenery pass by through the window. His thoughts varied from the family he left back in Japan, how to control his abilities both natural and implanted, his real father Logan and most importantly who he was?

No one who knew the young martial artist would peg him for a philosopher, however with the revelations of his heritage came questions of who he was and what he would do once he had the answers.

***Ugh! Why am I even thinking about this? I mean come on, so Genma isn´t my real dad I should be glad…so why am I not happy about that?*** He thought silently letting off a sigh.

"Pardon me young man…" a kindly elderly voice spoke next to him making look at the source. In this case it was an elderly black woman who looked to be like she was in her fifties as evidenced by her graying hair. "You look like you got a lot on your mind?" she finished with a warm disarming smile.

"Oh…I guess I am." He spoke.

"Hmm, you don´t sound like you're from around here son." She commented as she took noticed of his accent yet found him able to speak English well.

"Oh, I am from Juuban, that´s in Japan by the way."

"Well welcome to America, by the way my name is Lauren Jacobs, pleasure to meet you." The now identified woman spoke as she held out her hand.

"I am Ranma Gunshin, Ms. Jacobs." He replied as he remembered that in the States people said their first name before their family name, he also made sure not o squeeze her hand to tight.

"Actually it´s Mrs. Jacobs, though my husband Theodore has passed on I still like to think of myself as a Mrs. God rest his soul."

"Oh…uh…sorry to hear that." He said in a chided manner as he tugged his braided ponytail.

She just gave a chuckle and patted his hand.

"Never you mind that child, now then like I said before you seem to have a lot on your mind and this old girl can´t help but feel curious what a young man like yourself has you in such a mood."

"Oh…well…I wouldn´t want to bore you or impose." Ranma replied as he didn´t feel like he should trouble the kind old woman with his problems.

"Actually I should be the one apologizing since it is me who is intruding."

"Well…" the young martial arts prodigy and mutant began "It's just, I found out that the man I called father isn't and also something about my…ancestry…" Ranma spoke as he tried to use his ancestry as a supplement to the word mutant. "And now I feel like I don't what to do or whether I'm the same person I was yesterday to the person I am today."

"Hmm, those are some of the hardest questions a person can face in life." The woman replied before continuing "Well Ranma, how do you feel knowing that you're not the born son of the man who raised you?"

"Well at first I was kinda numb to it…" he spoke honestly earning a nod from her while she patiently waited for him to continue "…but then I was glad about it."

"Not father of the year I take it?" She asked calmly as she did not like the implications that came to mind.

"More like the three time consecutive winner for worst dad ever." Ranma spoke with a rueful smile on his face.

*Sigh*

"But now I learn about this other man my mother cared about who turns out to be my real dad and now I don't know how to feel about it."

"Change is a scary thing Ranma, maybe it is the fear of the unknown what is making you feel that way." She replied to the young teen.

Ranma would have normally yelled he was afraid of nothing, but after everything that has happened to him and the truthfulness of her words he found himself nodding.

"May I offer some advice my husband told me?" Lauren asked politely.

"Sure."

"Well my Theodore he used to say that God gave us a limited time on this Earth and best to enjoy it while we can. Now we may face many challenges along the way that test us as we walk along the path to our final resting place but that must never fear change and never doubt ourselves for we invite disaster if we do." Ranma listened as Lauren spoke her late husband's words.

"Now if I had to guess I'd say you came all this way to meet this man who your mother talked about correct?"

"Yeah…something like that."

"Well, then it's perfectly normal to feel the way do son. I would be scared too if I was to meet a man I did not see or heard about for so long. But no matter what happens Ranma, I can assure you that the only way you can change is if you decide to. No force on God's green earth can force you to change unless you wish it and believe it's for the best." Lauren finished.

"Yeah, you're right Mrs. Jacobs I guess I was just overwhelmed by the situation." Ranma replied with a smile.

"Well I am glad to have helped; frankly it does a soul good to help another on the long road that is life. Maybe if everyone did that instead of fighting all time the world would be a better place." The old woman spoke honestly getting a nod from the young man.

For the rest of his trip they spoke of many things, their families and their travels (though Ranma left out much of his more serious adventures and his status as a mutant). Finally they had arrived at their destination.

"Well Ranma it was a pleasure meeting you." Lauren spoke with warm and motherly smile.

"Likewise Lauren, thank you once again for your wisdom." Ranma replied with a bow.

"None are needed child, I hope you find the answers you seek and take care of yourself all right?"

"I hope I will and I can't make any promises." He replied with a smirk, getting a chuckle from the elderly.

"Oh you young people always getting involved in who knows what. Well at least try hmm?" she spoke with mirth.

"I'll try but with my luck I'll it´s change not one mile outside the city." The young man replied with his own voice showing both exasperation and humor.

They both soon parted ways on friendly terms, Ranma would soon leave the city but first he had something of utmost importance to do…

_Mike's pizza buffet…_

"Man that was some good pizza!" Ranma spoke cheerfully as exited the restaurant escorted by the owner himself.

"I swear I have never seen a man eat that many slices in my life! Where the hell did you put it all!" The man spoke in shock and awe.

"Sorry but that's a trade secret." The young man said to him as if there was nothing surprising with his eating habits.

"You broke the freaking record by 10 slices! You gotta tell me man or I'll go nuts."

"Sorry about that but I was rather hungry. So the food and drink is free right?"

"Yeah that was the deal." Mike replied as he did say that whoever beat the record didn't have to pay for their orders.

"Sweet, maybe I'll stop by sometime since that was one of the best pizzas I ever had." Ranma said to him as he shouldered his bags.

"Give me some warning before you do, Vinnie is exhausted from making so many pizzas and tell your friends about my place." Mike chuckled.

"Will do, oh and here's a tip." Ranma said as he handed him a 10 before leaving him.

"Huh, nice kid that. At least somebody finally left a nice tip for once." Mike spoke as he headed back inside his place.

Ranma patted his full stomach while taking in the sights of the city.

***Tokyo sure is tame compared to this place!*** He thought as he walked besides the masses of people.

It surprised him how there was always something going on in the city, he also noticed how the people were a bit more aggressive than he was accustomed to. He figured it was because of the wither diversity here.

The citizens of New York were much more independent and outspoken than the Japanese who were more reserved and united. In Japan the ones who stood out from a crowd were not always well received, he should know from his many encounters with people in the other wards.

Nerima seemed to have been desensitized for the most part, taking in stride the weird and strange as an everyday occurrence.

***Hmm, there's an Internet café, Mom and the others might be online.*** He thought as he remembered how Ukyo told him how to contact them through the Web. He made his way over and went to the clerk at the front desk.

"Excuse me?" He asked the person in charge, in this case a woman in her teens with blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Yes? How may I help you?" She asked politely as was expected of her.

"I would like to rent one of the machines."

"Okay, let me see…" she spoke as she looked around for a vacant spot "…number 7 is free." The woman said as she pointed towards the vacant spot.

"Thank you." He replied as he moved to it.

"If you need anything just ask?" She spoke kindly. He nodded before continuing towards the machine.

As he walked away his telepathy suddenly flared up and he picked up her thoughts.

***Hmm…now that is a nice butt, I wonder if his single?***

To his credit the young martial arts prodigy did not face fault but heavily blushed while silently cursing his lack of control before entering in the soul of ice.

He sat down and accessed Messenger, tipping in his address Wild_Stallion_Rules.

"Let's see here, looks like Ukyo is on." He spoke to himself as he saw her web name on the screen…Cutechef4ever. He clicked her name and soon the link was established.

-Ucchan, I have arrived to New York.—

"…"

-Thank goodness! We were worried since you hadn't contacted us since Arizona. — She wrote back.

-Yeah well the bus didn't stay in many cities for very long, how is everyone? — He typed.

-We're fine; Mom is here and wants to know if you have had any trouble getting there? — She asked and he was glad that she was close by.

-No trouble oddly enough, though I had to help someone out in Arizona, couple of bikers were picking on this nerdy looking guy because they thought he was the gas attendant or something.—

-They breathing?—

-Yeah but they won't be riding on a motorcycle for a while, still hope that guy was okay he was looking kind of green when we left.—

-Anyway, what are your plans? — His sister asked.

- Find a place to crash for the night, then head to Bayville and look for Xavier's…maybe see about my father.—

-Mom, wants to know how you are dealing with that.—

-Fine for now, may change when I meet him but I'll leave that to fate.—

-She says that is a very manly thing to say ^-^.—

***Ugh, I knew she wasn't going to let that go all the way.*** Ranma thought with both exasperation and humor.

-She also wants you to remember that you should finish your education…or else.—

-…or else?—

-Don't know, thought it would be funny. -_^. — Ukyo quipped.

"…"

-Ha ha. I swear you were funnier when we were engaged. — Ranma replied to her.

-Well if you want…- He could swear she was giving the screen a saucy look.

-Don't even think about it Ucchan! Anyway I promised I would finish school and I will once I find a place to settle down.—

-According to what Doctor Tofu said the Xavier place has dorms, don't you want to stick close by? — His sister asked.

-I really don't know, I'll think about it after I get settled in.—

-Okay, well I have to sign off now, please be careful.—

-You know me. — The young man typed with his trademark smirk.

-Yeah, that's what worries me. Remember we love you! —

-Always. — Ranma replied before they both disconnected.

He sat in silence as he processed her last words; it hadn't been easy during his travels to be so far away from his family. The year in captivity and torture had taught the value of it.

He would see them again, no matter what it took he vowed to himself.

_Meanwhile in an unknown location…_

"AAAAAHHHH!" The woman known as Arclight screamed in agony as massive amounts of electricity surged through her body.

She was strapped to an armature, arms and legs stretched out.

"This could be avoided if you simply told me what I desired my dear." The voice belonging to Ozymandias spoke clearly over her yells. He stood next to a console with his finger pressed over a green triangle.

"STOOOPP!" She screamed.

The man resembling a living statue did so and approached the wounded woman, the smell of burning flesh fill the room but he ignored it, his master had done much worse to his enemies…and himself.

"Now then…what is your master planning?" He asked calmly.

The woman weakly raised her head to look at him. She remembered how she had just finished getting drunk in a bar after being healed by Sinister (reluctantly mind you) in order to forget how badly the Scientist latest experiment effectively held his own against them at the start of the fight.

Out of nowhere several men came and overpowered her before she could effectively mount a counter attack. The next thing she knew was she was strapped to the metal rig and being questioned and electrocuted.

"H-he w-wanted us to capture one of his f-freak experiments." She let out through a series of pants and bloody coughs.

"Continue please."

"Fuck you!"

*Sigh* "Pain it is." He spoke with apathy as he returned to the console and activated the machine once more.

"GYAHHH!"

Another 5 minutes of screams and he stopped once she begged him to.

"He messed with this punk kid's genes! Said he'd make him into the ultimate weapon! That's all I know I swear!" She cried out in hopes for no more torture.

"Hmm, I see he is still searching for his ultimate mutant…" Apocalypse vassal spoke before turning to leave, though not before looking at the wounded woman. "…you have been most helpful, as gratitude…" he spoke as he manipulated the console to unleash maximum voltage "…a quick death is your reward." He said with finality as he activated the automated function.

"NOOOOOOO!"

And with that he left as her screams slowly died out.

***The master will wish to be informed…*** Ozymandias thought before another more personal one came ***hmm, Sinister's creation may be the key to finally ending him once and for all.***

He would have to tread carefully for now.

_Westchester, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters… _

The faculty was currently gathered in the Professors office.

"Any news Chuck?" Logan asks in reference to his search for the mutant responsible for the destruction of the Japanese Sentinel squad.

"I am afraid not my friend, there has been no sitting of any mutant activity like the one I registered that day." Charles replied as he steeples his fingers and let his mind wander.

Over the course of the days he had dedicated as much time as possible I searching for the mutant whose power seemed to resonated with Ororo and, after a better analysis, Magneto's.

While it was not uncommon for mutants to share similar if not equal abilities. He did find it odd that two such abilities could be found in a single being.

***Something is not right with this scenario…but what?*** Charles thought as he looked at the weather witch.

"Have you felt anymore disturbances Ororo?" He asked her.

"I am sorry to say that I have not…" the African weather manipulator spoke with a frown "…at least not at such a powerful as the one in Japan." She finished.

"Oh? So there have been other incidents of less degree?" Hank asked as he took in this new information.

"Small one's but that wasn't what worried me." She spoke as her eyes showed concern for what she was preparing to tell the three men.

"Out with it Ro, whatever it is might be important." Logan spoke out.

"This person seems to be moving, and if I am correct he is heading this way." Ororo said as she looked to see their reactions, she found each one to be appropriate for the three.

Logan was now on high alert as if the news meant trouble would follow. Hank had the look of scientific curiosity in need to be satisfied and Charles was pensive as he thought over the potential ramifications.

"How strong do they feel?" The Professor asked her.

"They become stronger the closer he gets, however they don't feel like this person is activating their abilities but more like a subconscious use." She replied.

"Hmm perhaps this individual is in search of aid or knowledge in regards to his changes." Hank speculated.

"Maybe their looking for a tussle." Logan rebuked as his eyes narrowed.

"Logan, not everyone we meet is out to get us." Storm chided, she understood that given his past history with secret plots and shady characters had left him jaded and cynical in regards to others.

***Kitty and Rogue seem exempt to that rule.*** She thought to herself, though she noticed the Charles arched an eyebrow.

***Pardon me Charles, I must have broadcast that too loudly.*** she sent to him.

"**There is no need to apologize Ororo, besides I am sure Logan cares for all of us in his own unique manner.**" The telepath replied just as the feral mutant retorted.

"Says you ´Ro, I would feel better if we could find out who they are and what they want."

"In any case we should be prepared should an encounter occur or if aid must be administered, agreed?" Charles spoke as he looked at the three. Hank and Ororo agreed while Logan scowled but nodded just the same.

"I'll be in the Danger Room." The feral man said as he got up and left, the others knowing that he was going to work off some aggression.

"And it seems I and Forge will be making some modifications once he is done." Hank spoke up once he was sure the man was out of hearing reach…

"I HEARD THAT FURBALL!" apparently he wasn't far enough.

"I best be leaving now." Beast spoke as he left to the safety of his lab; leaving the other two quietly chuckle.

_Bayville city limits…_

A Greyhound bus could be seen calmly making its way to a nearby bus stop. Upon reaching it the driver opened the doors and called out for anyone to disembark.

From within the bus emerged Ranma Gunshin; he chose to continue wearing more western clothing as opposed to his traditional Chinese ensemble. In this case he wore blue jeans, black T-shirt, red windbreaker and some running shoes, he also tied his long hair into a braided ponytail that reached mid back.

***Hmm, this place definitely looks way better than New York…*** He thought as he decide to breathe in the air.

*SNIFF!*

***Smells better too!***

"You need help with your bags kid?" The driver asked as he got off to unlock the baggage compartment.

"Nah, I can handle it." He replied as he easily lifted out his bags, much to the man's surprise as he had been given some trouble by them when he first got them in. Ranma unexpectedly caught the man's stray thoughts.

***Jeez, what did they feed this guy!***

Ranma gave a nod and calmly left the man while he found himself cursing his inability to control his powers.

***At least I didn't fire off some lighting or made something float.*** he reassured himself as he took in the sights.

In his view it was a nice calm community; while fairly large enough to be considered a city it lacked the hustle and bustle of New York (or the random chaos of Nerima).

Not even ten minutes after leaving the Bus Stop he was in a pleasant neighborhood, with trees lined in the streets and the sound of the birds filling the air. People went to their business but there he could see children playing, their laughter filling the air in another sort of song.

After making his way further into city he decided that the first course of action to take would be to secure shelter. Money would be no problem since he had plenty from the family accounts.

With that course of action decided he looked for a newspaper stand or anything that could help in his search. He soon came upon a newspaper box, thanking whatever luck he lived by he pulled out some change and picked up an issue. He walked further along until he found a park with plenty of shade.

The young mutant martial artist soon picked his spot and set his baggage down and sat to read. Before he could reach the want ads he found another article that peaked his interest.

-_Bayville's new crime fighting group of superheroes strikes again!_—

-Our readers would surely remember the alarming increase in the crime rate in our city. It had reached such a level, that even with the valiant efforts of our police department to stop this growing wave of crime that the citizens of our city had started to literally fear to go out in the dark, where probably a thief was awaiting to rob them.—

-All sorts of criminal acts assaulted our fair city breaking the peace and tranquility by which Bayville is known. The denounces of car robbing, house breaking, vandalism and destruction of public property were practically drowning the phones of the social services; firemen, police and many others social services couldn't cover all the fronts of this deluge of criminal acts.—

-This had reached such a level that the major, in common decision with the members of this city's council was ready to call for the FBI's help to stop those acts.—

-Now a week after that decision, things had changed.-

-A few days ago a mysterious group started what could be considered a war against that plague of criminal acts. Their identities hidden, they have in few days reduced the crime rate in more than a half and once again our citizens feel safe to go out at night.—

-Still the police department looks at this new group, the so called Bayville Sirens, with mistrust. As it is known the so-called "vigilant" movements are, as far as the police go, dangerous as they could easily vindicate any act the group said in their own crusade against crime.—

-Be as it may the citizens are looking up to this new group, all female (hence the "sirens" motto) to protect them.—

-But strange as it sounds this group seems something more than a simple group of concerned citizens. Some of the witnesses of their actions affirm that the Sirens have special powers, like throwing blasts of fire or moving things without touching them.—

-"I saw it" tell us one of those rescued by some of the Sirens. "I was in the street going to shopping for food when a man tried to grab my purse. I was able to keep my hand on it but the other man keeps pulling. I was losing my grip when suddenly the man started levitating before being thrown in a wall six meters away! I will never forget his face. He looked so surprised it was almost funny!"—

-Another of the witnesses of the Siren's action is Duncan Mathews, the Quarterback of Bayville's High Football team.—

-"You bet I saw it! All of them are babes! There was this chick that came and touched one of those guys; I mean she barely touched him, and zas! He was down K.O.! And there was this one that could use fire. That was so cool!"—

-We could add other interviews with many other witnesses of the Bayville Sirens actions against crime but all evidence at this time is still circumstantial. What's more is the many question that linger about them?—

-Could this group of women truly be empowered as those noted crime fighters and adventures that dwell in New York? Or could they be more than that? Some speculate they are similar to the supposed "Spider-man" whose own actions are also viewed as acts of vigilantism. Others have made allusion to possible mutant origins.—

-Whatever the case may be, this reporter find himself is both curious and thankful for their actions.—

Ranma finished reading and setting the paper down, he went over the implications made. Having seen and experienced many forms or martial arts as well as magical/supernatural events he could honestly say that it was not normal humans who were involved in these heroic escapades.

During his training trip he had seen the western military and judicial forces discredit the uses of ki and relied solely on physical prowess, and the only time he could recall them bearing witness to the strange and bizarre was after they shipped off the old pervert.

He didn't know who this Spider-man was as well as others seen in New York as he left as soon as he could, therefore the only conclusion he found for these women abilities was through mutant powers.

***And very confident if they decided to pose as vigilantes against crime*** He thought as he went over the abilities listed.

***Moving things without touching them, using fire and a touch that can leave you unconscious. Hmm, that last one could be a pressure point but I doubt it. Well it seems that at least something will come from this trip, I wonder if their part of these X-men.*** were his thoughts on the matter before he set them aside in favor of his original objective.

"Now let's see…here go apartments and flats."

_Later…_

Ranma had arrived at the address he had seen found, there he met the manager of the small complex and both reached a satisfactory payment plan during his stay.

Having soon found his new home away from home he stepped inside, giving the apartment a good look. It wasn't very big and yet at the same time not very small but as far as Ranma was concerned, it was perfect.

Among many things space enough for him to practice his katas both in the ground and in the air; the roof just of the right height to allow him to jump, even if it would have to be very controlled.

***Always did love a challenge.*** He thought though he would have to limit his training to just martial arts for the moment, his powers would have to be done from a secluded area.

It had a little kitchen with all he would need, an oven, a microwave, a small fridge. A bed, a desk, a closet and few other things like ample windows open to the street.

The bedroom had an occidental bed, spacious enough to be comfortable. Also there was the bathroom which had a shower, something that Ranma wasn't used to but that would be faster than the conventional Japanese furo.

"Well guess I better get settled in before checking out the school." He spoke out loud before he began to take out clothes and other such knick knacks he had taken with him.

He had learned to live in Spartan conditions, with his former father figure he had too. Though he did make sure to bring a picture of the group after the incident in Toma's island as well as his mother and doc Tofu, although he cut out the faces of those he had severed connections too i.e the Tendos, Kunos, Ryoga and Mousse.

Though he spared the old amazon matriarch and Shampoo, didn't feel right after hearing how hard they looked for him and handed over something to help with his cat problem.

***Wonder what they're doing right now? Mousse must be hounding Shampoo and the old Ghoul is beating his skull in for hugging her instead.*** He thought ruefully.

Having finished unpacking he decided to get a shower first then follow through on his next objective, checking out the school and then getting some dinner.

_Later that night…_

Walking in the attire he used to humble Akane and Ryoga, Ranma had finished his survey of the school; he found it rather homely and in stark contrast to Furinkan. Then again his former school was far from normal, it was that way even before he arrived.

Though not for the first time he wondered how long that peace would last, he was under no illusion that chaos would follow. THAT was the norm as far as his life goes…and what's more he missed that.

***Damn Kuno must have infected me with his stupidity.***

Ranma ignored that for now as he went to get a bite to eat. However as he made his way to a nearby fast food joint his ears picked a faint sound coming from a nearby alley.

Now normally Ranma would follow his instincts and check what it was and see if someone was in danger, but now that desire was tempered by the knowledge that he had to be careful and not call attention. It was for the best he knew, and he would just do that...

Then a muffled sound reached him, a female sound he had he had heard all too well in his time as Nerima's unofficial protector.

"Damn..."

Looking around him he surveyed the area and made sure that no one was looking at him before ducking in the deeper shadows of the street, before cloaking himself in the Umi sen ken.

That done he moved towards the source of sound, moving as silent as a ghost, fully within the mindset of the arts of the silent thief. While not tapping into his super speed he still moved faster than most humans could.

***There!*** His mind cried out as he found the source, Ranma's hands clenched into a fist upon arriving at the scene and saw what was there.

Four men, two of which were holding a young woman, one of them was on her left pressing a knife to her neck, while the other one the right was rudely pushing her into his body and holding her arm behind her back painfully.

Another was keeping watch while the fourth "friend" tried to force the opening of a nearby car with a sort of steel bar flattened in one extreme. From his angry thoughts Ranma was picking up he was not having much success.

"You bitch! If you hadn't lost the fucking keys!" snarled the one that was trying to force the car even as he shot the young woman a dark look that promised retribution once he had finished.

The watchman looked nervously around him, almost as if he feared something.

"Hurry up will ya! Those Siren bitches could be nearby! They could be already..."

"Shut the fuck up! Those chicks will not be a problem if they appear I tell you! Once we have the car he blast the way out of here." The carjacker snarled at the man.

"And what about tits here?" The man on her right spoke while thinking some particularly perverted thoughts as he pressed himself into her.

***OH GOD! OH GOD! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!*** Ranma received despite trying to keep his mental shields up with the soul of ice.

The man shot the other man a look that plainly said you are an idiot.

"I don´t care if you fuck her or kill her just let me work. This car is more stubborn that I expected, but once I'm through it we're out of here." The thug spoke with clearly no sympathy for the young woman.

Ranma had enough of these men and decided that the time to act was now.

"That's going to be a problem." a voice said coming from nowhere.

All of the men's eyes widened in surprise, the one forcing the car jumping backwards even as he grabbed his steel bar as a weapon and the others looked around, the one her left had his face set in a panic even as he moved the knife neared to the woman's neck.

The watch man pulled out a large bowie knife from behind and held it up even as he looked around wildly to pinpoint the source of the words spoken to them.

The same bodiless voice reached them, steel barely hidden behind his words.

"Release her now or suffer the consequences." The voice spoke in a dark tone.

Ranma felt all of their fear and in the young woman her blossoming hope.

The one with the metal bar looked around him, before a dark grin crossed his face. With a rude movement he grabbed one of the arms of the woman and yanked her free from the other men, regardless of how close the knife nearly slits her neck.

The woman could all but shout before she was viciously back handed by the man´s fist sending her crashing into the ground where she slumped, unconscious.

"And now what?" shouted the man with glee before pulling a gun from his jacket, he threw the bar at the man who was holding onto the woman´s arm.

"What are you going to do!" The apparent leader of the group yelled.

"This."

And before he had time to do anything else a hand appeared as if it coming from thin air, closing upon the hand that held the gun. Faster than what the would be murderers, rapists and thieves could believe the hand proceeded to crush both the wielders hand and the gun, mangling the fingers along with the steel of the gun in a concert of breaking and popping sounds

The man could only look in fear, the shock preventing the pain to reach him…for a couple of seconds at least.

"AAAAHHHH!" The leader bellowed for all to hear.

Then through the haze of pain and agony the man could only see a pair of cold blue eye´s shinning hard on his terrified and anguished face before the youth in dark clothing spoke with growing fury.

"That... Pissed... Me…Off!" said the young man before slamming a kick in the man's solar plexus sending him flying against a wall with twin sickening sounds, broken bones from the kick and broken bones from the impact.

However his attention was towards the other thugs was grabbed in a rather unpleasant way.

*CLANG!* was the sound heard as the metal bar struck the young mutant´s skull. This slightly tipped Ranma´s head forward a bit, though in reality the combination of break point training and the metals laced to his skeleton meant that all the surprise attack did was sting a little while any damage incurred healed rapidly.

Ranma slowly turned towards the other man that was shaking like a leaf metal bar still in his hands, his face chalk white.

Both turned to look down at the bar of metal then at each other, one with neutrality and the other with fear.

Ranma head quickly moved towards the man´s face…

*CRUNCH!*

"ARGH!" he cried out as his nose was shattered, the thug instinctively closed his eyes in pain and therefore did not see what came next.

Ranma then sweep kicked the man´s legs right from under him, quickly and gracefully he stood right back up before choke slamming his opponent hard into the ground. Then he turned his gaze onto the other two and moved towards them.

All movements' were done lethal fluidity, all steel-like muscles tensed even as he closed the space between them. Both knife wielders screamed in fear and anger as they charged the martial arts prodigy.

The one with the smaller blade swung hard in a poor attempt to slash the woman´s rescuer. Ranma however had other ideas as he ducked down and counter attacked with a series of hard punches in the painful and methodical order of…

…Right knee *SNAP!*

…Groin *CRUNCH!*

…Stomach *OOF!*

And finally an uppercut to the jaw that broke with a sickening snap, all done in the span of seconds.

The final thug had already committed himself to his lunge with his weapon. Ranma casually sidestepped him while leaving his right foot outstretched.

Naturally the criminal fell forward in a clumsy sprawl and losing his grip on his large blade. Any attempt to retrieve it however was preemptively stopped as Ranma suddenly appeared with the thug's right arm clamped between his legs.

With a sharp twist he broke the appendage at the elbow causing the arm to bend at an unnatural angle.

*CRACK!*

"MY ARM!" His wounded for cried out, though Ranma felt no sympathy for him as he jumped to the other arm and repeated the same move.

*SNAP!*

"ARGH!"

With both arms now useless, nothing prevented the youth to grab the man´s head and slam it hard into the cold street with enough force to render the man unconscious for quite some time.

Without glancing twice to the conscious-less bodies he rushed towards the young woman, kneeling near her and turning her over, making her to moan slightly.

A nasty looking bruise was already forming on part of her face and Ranma wondered if the man had broken or bruised her jawbone.

With a slight hesitation born from years of being Akane´s punching bag, Ranma touched her gently with his fingers probing carefully her face, cheek and jaw.

***Nothing seems too damaged; still I can't let her here.*** He thought as he finished his inspection of her. He took a moment to get a good look at her and saw that she was clearly in his age group and quite stunning. With long blonde hair that reached her shoulders and regal looks with a well endowed body. He then chided himself for ogling the unconscious woman.

From there he considered his next course of action before taking her in his arms, once again. After some moments more (in which he dipped himself in the Soul of Ice) he deemed that she was not about to awaken soon and tried to recall the directions to a clinic he saw on his way to the school.

***Seems like I have to throw caution trough the wind again... Hell! Why is it always this complicated with me? Ugh, at least things can't get any worse.***

Now anyone knows that saying, even if mentally, those words are to invite disaster. In Ranma's case, disaster is always lurking around him. The point is that disaster has many friends, such a chaos, mayhem, confusion and problems.

This time disaster came in the form of a fire blast that recoiled around Ranma making him looked at it with wide eyes.

Ranma muttered under his breath, a single question that sounded like the vilest curse, a question that many heroes in many worlds have asked themselves without ever finding the answer.

"Why me?" He spoke as he turned around and found the cause of the blast causing his eyes to widen once more.

From there his mind recalled something he saw in an American movie once.

***How did that phrase go again? Oh yes… GODDAMN YOU MURPHY!***

The Sirens had come at last.

To be continued…

_Another look into the Sinister Journal…_

_It is done…it took many hours of surgery but the Adamantium-Vibranium bonding process is finally complete. It was difficult at first, I had underestimated how the neurotoxins I had used to paralyze the subjects body seemed to have burned out sooner than expected and that was only just the first stage._

_His heart stopped beating during the procedure and he was clinically dead until I had finished, which was around 6 minutes after his death. When his healing kicked in and revived him I was not surprise to see that his first action was to scream obscenities and threats at me through the cries of pain._

_If he thought the Adamantium process was painful he was quite wrong. To insert the Vibranium I had to literal skin him alive and tear off the muscle to reach the bone._

_Once more his heart stopped beating from the agony since I left the use of any form of paralytic agent in lieu of previous experiences…and I felt it would be a good form of discipline for the many insults he throws at me._

_Spare the rod and spoil the child as they say. _

_I had hoped the long moments where his brain was deprived of oxygen may cause brain damage; it would have made the indoctrination process that much easier later on._

_Sadly fortune did not smile on me that day as the subject still retained his memories of who he was as well as his irrelevant hatred of me. I find myself wondering how my former employers in Weapon X managed to subdue the subject's parent. _

_I could risk returning for the notes, but sadly from what I have learned security is at an all time high thanks to my theft of the Adamantium… a shame but I will have to soldier on without them._

_After a period of adjustment with his new skeleton structure I proceed to splice the Russian´s genes with the subject. Once more all went smoothly and now my unwilling warrior has a virtually unstoppable armor both within and without._

_Arclight is slightly put off her playmate can no longer be damaged as before but that does not stop her from trying…I believe she has taken her job as his warden a bit too far._

_No matter let her have her fun; all I care about is the successful completion of the project. However it has become apparent that I over looked a small detail when granting him a body of steel._

_While in normal form he retains his magnificent speed, the metallic one abandons it n favor of power and endurance. This makes me wonder if the other abilities I shall infuse would suffer the same fate; I will have to plan a training schedule once I have him under my control that should allow him perfect manipulation over all his powers._

_That will be for a later time, now I must move on to the next phases. His metallic body and skeleton leave him vulnerable to magnetic and electric forces, while his mind may be penetrated by powerful psychics._

_To remedy this I have selected several individuals that shall make my warrior peerless among the mutant community._

_For dealing with magnetism I have two very unique choices, and ironically both share a rather personal connection to one another…even if they are not aware of it._

_The self proclaimed Master of Magnetism himself or… his daughter. It came as a bit of a surprise to me when I had studied the samples I had Malice obtain for me. _

_For all the vaunted security Magneto uses to ensure the safety of his people, it was disappointing he had not considered someone with Malice´s unique power set to get so close to him. Having her take over a personal physician he had on hand and getting the sample was easy. _

_The man´s use of the gems of Cyttorak are lost to him, he no longer has them to grant him the vitality he has enjoyed for so long. I do wonder how he will cope, according to Malice he has yet to show signs of advanced aging but then again he is remaining passive for the moment._

_The second sample came from a young woman I had encountered in Chicago, she hid her powers well but all it takes is one slip up. Once I had her DNA I began to study both closely to determine if experience over youth would serve my subject well._

_It was there I saw the similar DNA sequences between the two, one parental test later and voila…a father and daughter revealed. I made a note to acquire the girl later on after I finish with the project, she would go far in my service…after breaking her will of course. _

_In the end I chose the father over the daughter as his power was far more developed. I wonder how he would react if he should learn what I have done with his DNA? Given his heritage he would be quite cross with me…oh those Nazi scientist amateurs, for all their knowledge in warfare it pains me to see how stupidly they acted for not taking advantage of the veritable gold mine they had in their hands. _

_Their loss is my gain…_

_For the next candidate I must tread carefully not only is she a wielder of a great power but under the care of the world's most powerful psychic. However the power of nature will be mine to command at my leisure._

_Her resistant to energy based attacks will serve my warrior well. I have seen him restrain his fury when he tries to escape so he can control his emotions when needed, this will be fundamental in control the weather witch´s power._

_Finally I have two candidates for the psychic aspect, both with great potential and both equally hard to acquire. Jean Grey and Elizabeth Braddock, two women with great power in the psychic field._

_Though Miss Grey exhibits stronger aptitude it is tempered by the knowledge that it could overwhelm her and thus the same could be applied to my subject. In Miss Braddock´s case, though not as powerful she shows much more versatility._

_She uses her telepathy in a far more offensive capability than Miss Grey while her unique approach to her telekinesis intrigues me. What she lacks in power she more than makes up for it in creativity. _

_I shall leave the choice until after I finish implanting Magneto´s and Storm´s powers, as well as building a gene specific power suppressor, it would not do to have him tear my base apart with rampant powers now would it? _

A/N: Well here we are once more folks, I know a lot of you will comment on my grammar here but let´s face it I can only proof read so much by myself.

Anyhow, I am publishing three chapters today. Let´s face it writers block is the number one cause of stress and creativity in the world, I just can´t seem to get my Buffy stories going right…oh well I will gave to conform to giving you folks these instead, also I am working on the final chapter of my Rider story just to give you a heads up.

Now then let´s answer some fan mail hmm?

Shinzochi: That is what I strive for, trying something old but with a twist.

Fenrir of the North: You are correct in thinking that our resident Lost Boy would eventually end up on the front lawn of Xaviers. I wasn´t sure at first but then I realized that Ryoga would appear for no reason what so ever, I'll try to work him in there eventually…and perhaps the Amazons as well, no promises though, my muse is strange and fickle at times.

"You mean your bitch ain´t giving you any?" Deadpool, the merc with a mouth spoke up…hanging high above a dark pit filled with horny and rabid squirrels and Squirrel Girls while strapped to a chair.

"You suck!" my little pawn laments as he avoids being drag in by mere inches.

"Respect my fucking authority bitch!" I so eloquently retort.

TJG: Hmm, those are some very interesting ideas; would you elaborate more on them? If you have any more ideas would you be willing to share?

Virgil: Still too early to establish a pairings since we are still missing some players, also I feel more inclined to alter Emma a little, while she is not my most hated character (I fucking HATE you Ult. Nick Fury!) I sometimes do feel sorry for her given her past with her family.

caffeineandshiny: The wait is over…or is it? No its over I just have to decide when to drop the bomb on Logan that he has a kid and he was experimented on. As stated before Ryoga does get around so I can´t say he won´t pop up to get another asswhup.

PEJP Bengtzone V2: If you can spot the small cameo I mentioned in this chapters you will see I am not limiting myself to the Evo verse, however if I do in fact present Carol it would be too cruel to herself and to Rogue have the events that played in the comics.

cabrera1234: Heh funny! I am so going to working something like that in.

Raidentensho: Well first off I never said Amalgam was his codename; it was the title Sinister gave his project. I have yet to come up with one so I am open to suggestions. Also your ideas in the use of his powers intrigue me, if you are willing to share more please feel free to do so.

drake202: Thanks for your comments and yes Sinister is a sick bastard isn´t he?

Well that´s all for now so Peace out everybody!


	5. Chapter 5

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

This was inspired by the Fic called The Evolution; it was a shame that the story wasn't continued it was a very good as far as Ranma/Marvel crosses go.

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 5 part 1:

_Minutes before the confrontation…_

What had started with a slightly clear idea that the boys found that they were better than the girls, Jean, Amara, Kitty, Rogue and Tabitha had soon found a way to prove otherwise, and that way was almost addictive.

It was like a rush.

It was a way to be what they wanted, to be allowed to act as they wished beyond the limits of the X-Men or even the Brotherhood and using their powers without having to be concerned with what the others thought.

No fear to be discovered crossed their minds and they could feel contempt towards the criminals that they helped to put in jail, mutant powers gave them the needed edge to do so, to feel powerful and independent from the constraints placed on them by both groups.

Even so they did it to help the city to clean the trash that infected its streets and, in the few days since the Siren's first appearance, they had already done more than the police department in a time span way greater.

The group moved like if they owned the streets and in some sort of way it was so.

Still as that particular night went they had found little if no criminal activity to stop and that was already enough to put the ever so energetic Tabitha crawling upon the walls.

Boom Boom indeed.

"Aaaargh! I want something to happen! What's with all the criminals in this city?"

"Maybe they're like afraid or something?" asked Kitty, in a somewhat naive fashion.

"Ya I bet." Rogue spoke even as she looked around, trying not to show her boredom but unable to hide her sarcasm.

"Girls..." said Jean even as she continued looking around them.

The night could be boring but for now the Sirens had been something different from her everyday life. Even in the X-Men she was ever responsible Jean, role model, perfect student, the kind every girl want to be, popular; one of the "in" people.

Still she couldn't help but feel mad sometimes with some of the "things" in her life.

Well the "thing" in her almost perfect life had a name and a face.

Scott Summers.

When she picked his smug *supposed* superiority between boys and girls she couldn't stop until she found a way to show him! Childish perhaps but it was still a valid idea as far as she and the other girls believed.

***Except maybe Tabitha, she is just in it for the excitement.*** Jean thought privately as she saw the girl pace around again.

Thus were the Sirens were born. It wasn't her idea but soon she was all in favor with the other girls helping, still Jean didn't fool herself.

Xavier knew what was going on. She knew better than to think that the world's more powerful mind could not learn of a group of crime fighters with special powers, mutant powers, were roaming in the streets at night, less in his own city.

Add all the media coverage they were getting and it all added up if you knew what to look for.

The slight smile he gave her this morning was enough to show that he knew what was happening, whether he approved or if this was a test of sometime she didn't know.

As far as she was concerned the professor knew what was going on and gave his approval trusting her judgment. It was the others she was concerned about, the ones that knew that she and the others had powers, powers similar to the Sirens.

Jean stopped short, her mutant power once again showing her what could not be seen.

"Jean? What is it?" asked Amara, seeing that the older girl had stopped, calling the attention of the whole group to their (not nominated according to the gothic southern bell) leader.

Jean shook her head as she pushed the emotions back, thanks to her mental training.

Differently from her teammates she was able to feel emotions and read thoughts what gave her an edge when searching for what the naked eyes couldn't see. Quite literally she could feel things happening.

Still it seemed a tranquil night...

Until she picked a wave of pure fear coming from somewhere nearby, fear with a good dose of anger and frustration. What made her shiver was the sensation of lethal intent she picked for a moment before it was smothered. Then once again that emotion, maybe greater than before: fear, unadulterated fear, borderline panic.

She looked at her friends.

"Let's go, someone needs us."

As one they rushed, Jean leading the way as she moved as fast as she could.

They arrived fairly fast and what they saw wasn't pleasant.

Four men where in the ground and not moving, all showing signs of a SEVERE beating that made them cringe.

And then there was the supposed aggressor dressed all in black, standing near a car with his back to them, holding an unconscious woman in his arms… not good.

All of the girls had different thoughts on what had taken place here and not one was filling them with warm feeling.

Even as those thought crossed her mind Amara acted firing a blast of her magma to surround the aggressor. The assailant turned with a surprised expression in his face, as if he hadn't been expecting this which was strange.

Jean looked at him and was slightly intimated by his large size and noticeable frame.

***Guy looks like he works out a lot, better get a read on him.*** The read head thought as she focused her powers on him…only to get nothing.

***What!***

It was at that point she got a good look at his face, she pick up on several emotions there. Regret, apprehension, and…annoyance?

_Back to present…_

***Shit! One of them tried to get in my head!*** Ranma thought as he felt the signs of telepathic intrusion. After Sinister's own attack Ranma made sure to recognize the signs.

***Got to get out of here before one of then digs to deep and I lose it.*** He mentally voiced, though from the looks of things it was easier said than done since they were blocking the entrance.

***Okay do not panic! I'll just talk to them…yeah, that could work. I mean we aren't Nerima and they look reasonable...though the outfit's kind of making them look like bad biker chicks, what is up with that?***

"Could you please turn down the flames I need to…"

"Like we would listen to you scumbag!" Tabitha eloquently spoke while jabbing a finger in his direction.

"Listen I…" Ranma tries to explain but Amara simply intensifies her flames.

Magma in turn looks at Jean for guidance, she wouldn't say it out loud but the men behind him were really hurt. In all their time fighting crime she had never really seen anyone so brutally beaten.

Jean bit her lower lip, she had made attempts to see his intentions but something prevented her. What's more every time she pressed the man in question would push back as if he had experience with psychics…

***Or maybe is psychic.*** She thought as she began to rethink their strategy, however their mysterious guest had other plans.

Ranma for his part was growing frustrated. All he set out to do was to protect the woman currently in his arms from suffering a terrible fate and life chooses to reward his good deed with unnecessary grief.

***Typical, every single time I get in trouble a woman is involved and what's worse it isn't my fault! Well screw this!*** He thought as a scowl etched itself on his features causing the young women to tense.

"You know what?" He asked rhetorically as he adjusted his grip on the woman so that he could free one of his hands "…why don´t you bimbos stay here and play hero while I get this girl to a hospital." with that said he placed his right hand on the ground while maintaining eye contact, he then sent a low level Ki wave through the ground various break points.

"Shockwave." Was all he said as the earth rose with force.

*BOOM!*

"Aaaahh!" The girls screamed as dust and debris was thrown at them, not fast enough to hurt them but still good enough to block their view,

Hence they failed to see him jump kick of the alley walls to the roof with his wounded charge and make his way to the clinic.

The Sirens were covered head to toe in dust while their eyes tear up and coughed. Jean sent out a telekinetic bubble that cleared the area. The only evidenced left of their mysterious assailant was the wounded criminals and the crater left in his wake.

"Where did he go?" asked Kitty saying aloud the question all were sharing while her voice held some awe in it.

Tabitha humpfed, crossing her arms upon her chest in an "I'm so pissed/don't cross me!" fashion.

"I don't know and I don't care! The next time I find this guy I'll strangle him before leaving him to the boys even if I have force them!" she shouted.

Jean looked at the crater then at the men that were starting to regain consciousness even if with evident suffering.

***How had he done that? And who was he really?*** She thought as she and the others left the scene while making sure to contact the authorities.

_Later that evening…_

After insuring the woman was safe and returning to his current home, Ranma sat crossed legged upon his bed, the window open and the lights off.

He was stripped down to his boxers to allow the cold wind to brush more of his exposed skin. He was looking at the semi illuminated darkness on the street, the lamp posts giving their weak light even as his ear picked the sounds of the night, the wind upon the leaves of the trees and many others sounds that the common mortals are unaware, limited by their own perceptions.

His mind wander to the evenings previous events regarding the felons he took down , the young woman he rescued and his encounter with the Sirens.

His actions had unknowingly gained a new set of potential problems, problems that he could not afford to have. The last thing he needed right now was to get at odds with the mutant populace of Bayville.

He wasn't fool enough to not guess that those five girls had friends, for all he knew they could be part of these X-men he heard about. If they were part of them did that mean they knew his father?

He chided himself for leaving the area without asking but deep down he knew that it was his only option. He could not risk injuring the poor woman he had in his arms, much less fight against mutants whose powers he barely understood as much as he did his own.

Everything that had occurred had all revolved around a single thing, one undeniable fact.

***Chaos. It doesn't mean anything that I have moved to the other side of the world. Absolutely nothing, Chaos always follows me. It doesn't mean anything that I'm innocent, people still jump to the wrong conclusion.*** He thought depressively for a moment before a small smile tugged the corner of his mouth.

***Well if things are going to be like that, then so be it! Still I can't help but think that what happened today will bring me problems... my luck usually works like that. I do something, no matter how small or innocent and people jump to the wrong answer.***

In an almost lazy gesture Ranma lied down upon the bed, looking at the ceiling.

***Ran-ma… Wild Horse… Chaotic horse. How can I expect anything else if chaos is even in my name? All my life is filled with it; even my fighting style is chaotic. Chaos...** *

And with that last word in mind Ranma drifted into a well deserved rest.

_In another part of the city…_

The woman formerly known as Raven Darkholme sat in the living room of the apartment she rented while nursing a glass of wine and going over the night´s rather odd events.

She had been following the young women known to the media as Sirens for some time. She has been keeping tabs on the Brotherhood when she noticed Tabitha sneaking out without telling anyone about it. It came to a surprise when she saw them in action against the criminal elements that had recently plagued the city.

***Not that I care what those pathetic flatscans do with this town.*** She thought as she took a zip of her drink.

She had reported her findings to Magneto as per their agreement, one she was most distasteful of given the events on asteroid M. Still if it ensured the safety of her children then it was in her best interest to remain his ally for the time being.

She sighed sadly as she realized how much she had sacrificed in order to protect them even when they wanted nothing to do with her. She blamed both Magneto and Xavier for that, the first for experimenting on Kurt and bringing Rogue into the conflict before she was ready while the latter for tainting them with his idealistic nonsense of human/mutant coexistence.

She has seen and felt firsthand how the humans reacted to the presence of mutants long before the world knew they existed. There would be no peace between them only war, one she would make they survived at all cost.

However those thoughts then turn to the encounter the young women had with their unknown foe, she stayed long enough to see if Rogue was safe before following by air as a crow.

It was obvious a misunderstanding had occurred as the young man had carried his wounded charge to a clinic before quickly leaving. She would have followed to his base of operations had he not suddenly vanished into thin air.

Her thoughts immediately turned to him being a mutant, a very odd and possibly powerful one. That thought made her wonder if he was the one Destiny spoke of, the one who had destroyed the Sentinels in Japan.

Her lover had spoken to her before the Master of Magnetism called and gave her a detailed report of what she knew. Magneto had his agents investigate what they could while he ordered her to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

***He certainly was that wasn´t he?*** She mentally said to herself.

She began to wonder if he was the one and if he was why he was here in the first place. The logical choice would be Xavier; however she knew that the man for all his preaching of coexistence never advertised the schools true nature to the world.

***So if that is the case…how did he know? And if he is indeed the one Destiny spoke off how can I use that to my advantage?*** She asked herself.

She would need to approach him, befriend him. If all went well then perhaps she may obtain a means to overthrow Magneto and finally rid herself of the man without having to lift a finger.

***I have to find him first, and then the game begins.*** She thought as a dark smile came to her features.

_Three weeks later…_

*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*

"I am sooo going to kill Jamie for this!" The young mutant known as Jubilee muttered as she ran through the streets of Bayville on her way to school. She of course traced it back to an unknown incident

It had been the day before yesterday when the senior X-men had run afoul with the Brotherhood, while that was something seen as a routine something happened during the altercation that caused them to return to the School in a state of disbelief, anger and depression.

She and the others in the New Mutants did not pry out of fear that they would be the targets should they decide to vent on them (Particularly Spike and Rogue who were really in a foul mood).

That´s why today of all days one of the younger alumni decided to "cheer" them all up with a misguided prank. What was it you may ask? Why all the alarm clocks rang approximately 15 minutes later than they should, hence her current predicament.

Everyone believed there could only be two culprits, Kurt Wagner or Robert Drake. But she knew better, despite Bobby´s clownish personality, even he wouldn´t allow himself to fall victim to his joke just to prove his innocence. As for Kurt, while his teleportation could have aided him in the endeavor it left a noticeable trace and he was present for dinner last night.

That only left one suspect, Jamie Madrox. The only student capable of being in two places at once and be able to act simultaneously with none the wiser.

This meant that a frantic rush to get to school took placed under the amused eyes of the adults, Logan seemed especially entertained. She was not inclined to share in his humor as, unlike the others who both had a mode of transportation and therefore provide aid to some, she and some of the others had to sprint to the high school.

When she asked if he could give her a ride on his motorcycle, she was promptly rewarded with a glare that promised swift and deadly retribution, not even the puppy dog look worked as he intensified his glare while also giving a low growl.

Once more she thought a series of expletives and death threats directed at her teammate. Her thoughts were so consumed with them that she failed to notice the sidewalk was not quite dry and firm as needed while also not taking into account the traffic before crossing.

"WHOA!" she yelled as she fell forward on her stomach rather hard. She slowly rose while trying to ignore the pain as well as the wetness on her favorite blouse.

"_Awareness training for a month and I slip on a puddle. God this day can´t possibly get any worse._" She softly muttered with a bitter tone as she manages to get on her hands and knees. However as she took in her surroundings she realized that she was on the road.

Her head whipped all thoughts of her pain gone, as she heard the sound of wheels against the asphalt. A car was speeding towards her, and it seemed that the driver hadn't seen her.

Jubilee was smart enough to know that at that speed she would die upon impact yet she wasn't able to move, all thought having fled from her mind even as panic slowly began to seize her. She could only brace herself as she closed her eyes, waiting for the imminent pain.

***I don´t want to die! I have so much left to do! I never even got to kiss a boy or go out on a date! I´m so sorry Mom! I´m so sorry Dad!*** were some of the many frantic thoughts going through her head.

But things didn't happen like that way, as one moment she was kneeling there about to be run over by a speeding car.

The next moment she was moving, well *she* wasn't moving per say but rather *something* holding her was moving… and fast.

She had felt herself being scooped up by something steel hard but at the same time, gentle even if the loss of contact with the ground was mildly disturbing but not unwelcomed if it meant avoiding a painful death.

Still it was rather comfortable a part of her mind whispered.

Jubilee was still unsure of what just happened, so she opened her eyes marginally, cautiously, fearing the worst. However what greeted was far from it as she gazed into the most amazing blue eyes she had ever seen, and belonging to a rather handsome Asian face.

***Oh…wow!***

"Are you all right miss?" He asked with a noticeable accent as he let her regain her footing while keeping her stable as she held onto his arms.

She was in her own world as she gave him a good long look.

He was tall, dressed in faded blue jeans and black short sleeved T-shirt. His raven black hair was tied in a braided ponytail and his masculine, attractive face still showed some concern.

Jubilee couldn't help but notice his lean but well-formed frame. Even standing there, not moving, the young mutant could feel the muscles shifting under his skin... ready to move with unsuspected power.

He was a grade "A" hunk if she had ever seen one.

Still something in him reminded her of someone, but she wasn't able to remember who it was about... there was something there...

"Are you alright miss?" he asked again as he noticed the faraway look in her eyes, this made him bow if ever so slightly to look at her in the eye.

Jubilee blinked and reluctantly pulled away with a blush on her features.

"Yes! I-I-I am fine…thanks to you that is." She replied a bit embarrassed for losing herself like that.

Ranma simply nodded and gave her a smile.

"Oh it was nothing; anyone would have done the same."

"Well thank you either way, oh I'm Jubilation Lee but you can call me Jubilee." She said as slightly bowed as she recalled how Asians bowed in greeting to one another.

Ranma did the same before speaking.

"I'm Ranma Gunshin, but call me Ranma if you like."

"It's nice to meet you Ranma, and again I thank you for your help." She spoke before she noticed his back pack.

"If you don't mind me asking… are you headed for school?"

"Huh? Oh yes I have an appointment with a Mr. Kelly? I think that's his name." the young martial artist replied.

"The high school principal?" She asked with some surprise.

***He looks more like a college freshman than a high school senior.*** She thought.

"Yes…do you go to Bayville High?"

"Yes…Oh crap! I'm…we're late!" she gasped as she looked at him.

"Well lead the way Jubilee." He spoke as he stepped beside her with an outstretched hand and a disarming smile.

***Oh he is sooo dreamy! No! Fantasize later!*** she chided herself before taking off with Ranma in toe.

"Say? Can you show me to his office?" he asked as he ran next to her showing no sign of having trouble keeping up with her.

"Sure, it is the least I can do after your help." She replied before focusing on the road ahead.

Ranma just gave silent thanks before he let his mind wander to something he had picked up on his senses when he first saw her.

***Yep, no doubt about she's a mutant all right.*** he thought as he studied her aura and found the telltale signs he had come to associate with mutants. He couldn't get a read on what she could do but he could tell it had something to do with energy since she had that in abundance.

***I hope she wasn't part of those Siren's I met; she doesn't look like the fire wielder. Hmm I wonder if their related? Well so long as I keep my eyes peeled and my head down I should be safe for now…maybe she goes to Xavier's, I have go there soon or else I'll never gain control.***

"Oh man…" Jubilee spoke with worry as she glanced at her watch "…we are not going to make it in time!"

Ranma heard of course before making a decision and gave a silent prayer to whoever was listening that his powers not screw up his first day of school.

Without missing a beat he scooped up the young mutant girl into his arms and ran just below Nerima standards (which meant just below an Olympian runner going for the gold).

"Whoa! What the heck!" She cried out as she held on to him while he weaved around the pedestrians in his way.

"Pardon me!…On your left!... Your other left! Coming through!... Students going to school on your right!..."

_Minutes later…_

"Well here we are!" Ranma spoke cheerfully as he set down a wide eyed girl.

"How…you…but…we…" She stuttered as she tried to make sense of how he could run so fast while carrying her.

"I do a lot of martial arts." He answered to her unspoken question.

She would have asked to elaborate but she glanced at her watch and chose not too as he did get them to school with plenty of time to spare.

"Okay, I'll accept that answer for now. Let's go to the principal's office first." She spoke as she took his hand and led him inside.

Ranma resisted the urge to cringe when she did; reminding himself that she was only being nice.

***Right?***

_Later…_

They had parted ways once they reached his destination, her promising to show him around if he ever needed to find something.

He soon stepped inside and found himself in a fairly average room with a trio of chairs on the right and desk where the secretary was currently working on.

"May I help you?" She asked.

"Uh…yes I am here to enroll myself here and was told to see Mr. Kelly."

"I see, let me see if he's busy. If you would please take seat." She spoke as she stood up and knocked on the door, while he sat.

"Principal Kelly?" She asked as she saw him on the phone.

Principal Edward Kelly was a man appearing to be in his late thirties, wearing a gray suit, red tied and black rimmed glasses.

"Oh one moment…" The man in question spoke into the device before pulling it away and blocking any incoming calls "…yes Margaret?"

"A young man who wishes to enroll is here to see you. Shall I ask him to wait?"

"No need I am just about finished, please send him in." Kelly replied, getting a nod in return from his secretary, as she stepped out to address Ranma he quickly finished his call.

Ranma stepped inside and soon caught sight of the man who stood up to greet him from across his desk by holding out his hand.

"Good day young man, I am Edward Kelly the principal of this institution."

Ranma took the offered hand and gave it a shake.

"I am Ranma Gunshin, it is an honor to be here sir."

"Hmm, that's some grip you have there." The principal commented upon feeling the slight pressure the young man applied.

"Oh! Uh sorry about that…I sometimes forget my own strength." Ranma quickly replied.

"No harm done, please have a seat Mr. Gunshin." Kelly spoke as he sat in his chair while Ranma did the same in one of the two seats available in front of the man's desk. Kelly reached down to one of his cabinets and pulled out folder.

"So I hear you wish to enroll in our fine institution?" The man spoke as he perused the contents in the file.

"Yes sir."

"Pardon my asking but aren't you a bit old to be in high school?" The principal asked as he looked at him.

"I get that a lot sir, let me just…" Ranma spoke as he pulled out the documents Tofu prepared for him "…I have a doctor's note that explain my looks." He finished as he handed them over to the man.

Kelly read them carefully.

"Ah, I see…" the man spoke before giving his full attention to the young man in front of him "…will you be requiring any special medication or have any allergies to certain chemicals we should know about?"

"No sir, my condition has been stabilized for some time now." Ranma spoke as honestly as possible, though he did pick up a stray thought as Kelly looked at him thoroughly.

***Hmm, he does appear to look well. I wonder if he would be interested in joining the football or basketball team?***

Ranma delved into the Soul of Ice in order to block out any more thoughts from reaching him or worse let his thoughts be intercepted.

"Well, all your papers seem to be in order…" Edward said as he set aside the file and returned the medical documents "…now I understand you are here in the country on your own, so I expect you to be on your best behavior while you are here all right?"

"Yes sir, I will try my best to do so sir." Was the young mutants reply, though inwardly he was thinking another thing…

***By the end of the day someone is going to be pissed at me, I just know it.***

Principal of course did not know the reputation the young man in front of him had garnered over the years. Hence he did not realize the things to come when he admitted him into his schools hallowed halls.

"Well here is your class schedule we worked out according to your placement test, a school map and rule book…" the man spoke as he handed some papers to the youth "…we will contact you later once we have assigned you a locker and combination, I believe that is all and should you ever need to bring something to my attention do not hesitate to seek me out. I am at your service just like the other faculty here." Kelly finished as he stood up and held out his hand.

"Yes sir and thank you for your time." Ranma replied as he shakes his hand.

"Also feel free to join up with any of the school sports teams, from the way you look you seem to be quite active and healthy."

"I shall consider it sir, but my martial arts take most of my time so I can´t promise anything." Ranma replies while thinking that he would more than likely not take the offer.

"That´s all I ask, now you have the day off so you can meet your teachers and find your class rooms, but I expect you here bright and early and ready to learn."

"Of course sir, and again thank you." The martial arts prodigy finished as he turned around and left. He thanked the secretary before making his way out of the office and taking a look at his schedule.

***Oh man…some of these look tough! Well no point in crying over spilled milk, I made a promise to mom to get an education and I ain´t breaking my promise to her.*** He thought as he calmed self. It was as he turned to look at the map to see where to go first when the sounds of footsteps reached him.

Turning to look at his right he got a good look at the person…and immediately went on guard.

A girl was walking on the deserted corridor heading towards him. She had slender build even if it was easy to see the curves of her body considering she wore crimson colored vest that left her midriff exposed.

Her black leather pants enhanced the shape of her legs and she wore her belt like a sash. Her dark hair was pure clack while cut short with red highlights near the ends. Her eyes were cold even as the several cross-like pendant and earrings gleamed.

Her face was blank but her eyes seemed to bore in everything around her, for what reason he did not know…and frankly did not want to find out.

She barely looked at him and Ranma did likewise, quickly moving his eyes back to his papers, hoping that she didn't take offence for him looking at her like that.

He had seen enough to know that she brought problems with her; as much as a new fiancée back in Nerima.

A mutant, he could tell that much by the projections of her aura but he did see more than that. Her emotions were running high, moving wildly. Anger and a sort of hunting feeling swirled in the colors of her aura... all promising a temper to reckon with, a temper that could easily evolve into a lack of control.

And as if to corroborate it his danger sense had reacted to her, strongly. In Ranma's mind that could only mean one thing, that girl meant trouble… BIG trouble.

Calmly he walked towards her, from the way her body language spoke shifted she expected trouble…not from him specifically but from anyone who stood in her way. As they briefly stood side by side he risked a glance at her and found her eyes connecting with his, in that brief moment he could swear something passed between them.

The moment passed as the broke away and he moved onwards to his destination, he never saw her give him a second glance.

_With Wanda…_

***Who is this guy?***

That was the question she had asked herself as she made her way to the principal's office. Having spotted him at a distance she had continued onward while maintaining an air of indifference.

Not something easy to do since she admitted that he was quite eye catching…not that she was cared. She had other concerns, like find her dear old father and have a chat with him regarding his abandonment of her.

However the moment their eyes connected she felt something… different about him.

When he past her she looked back and concentrated on what she felt, it took her moment but she soon found what she was looking for…Chaos.

Her mutant abilities allowed her to alter the probabilities of any given event to her favor; in essence she could "Hex" any person or object to serve her needs…as she demonstrated on the X-men. However her powers also allowed her to tap into the chaotic aspects of magic, or at least that is how that woman Agatha Harkness explained it.

She was an odd one the young woman admitted, but at least she helped her more than Xavier could. She taught her control over her abilities and spoke of her potential in the mystical arts, so long as she gave her the tools to obtain her revenge she would tolerate her.

One of Agatha's lessons involved recognizing the patterns involved with magic, in her case chaos and right now she could see that the person walking away from her was swimming in it.

***Someone must have led a rather interesting life.*** She thought as she remembered that those blessed or cursed to be avatars of chaos often led very intense lives.

She left any further thoughts for later, right now she had to enroll I school, even if it was only to keep Mystique, or as she affectionately called her the bossy blue bitch, of her back.

_In another area of the school…_

***Oh come on not this again!*** Todd Tolensky AKA Toad to those who cared enough to know was currently being backed up against the lockers. His assailants were three members of the football team led by the star quarterback Duncan Mathews.

"Well, well, well... look who we have here guys." said Duncan to his buddies, all of them still in their football gear.

They had seen Toad alone while going to the showers and, after telling the coach they had something to do before hitting the hot water, they had moved like a pack of wolves upon their prey.

Toad looked up to the football players and to Duncan and his three friends, all of them pumped up from the exercise, adrenaline cursing trough their bodies. Just by that Toad knew very well that begging would do no good, they wanted their "fun".

The young mutant swallowed hard, faking a smile.

"Please guys... I was doing nothin' I swear!"

The four boys closed upon him with unfriendly smiles.

Toad gasped, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming pain.

At least he had tried...

Duncan slammed him against the lockers, making them to shudder, Toad grunted in pain blinking furiously, all thoughts in using his powers gone. They couldn't help him here. He was on his own.

"Ah... hehehe now guys you had your fun but..." Toad spoke with growing fear while wondering if the rest of the Brotherhood was nearby to help.

***Where the heck is Fred when you need him!***

"Shut up Tolensky!" said Duncan even as he slammed Toad again, before he turned the smaller guy around, pinning him painfully trough a violent grip on the mutant's wrist.

Toad moaned in pain. His arm and shoulder seemingly in fire, the cold metal of the lockers digging in his skin.

Duncan exchanged a smile with his friends that grinned with him. Most of the time Tolensky hanged out with his buddies and like a good bully Duncan wasn't bold enough to go after his favorite victim. Yet this time the geek was alone, unprotected.

"Well Tolansky you are to get re-acquainted to your old friend the toilet flush."

With a nod to two of his team mates they gripped Toad by his shoulders, their fingers digging painfully trough the fabric of Toad's clothes.

"No! No! Not the swirly! Anything else but the swirly!"

Duncan snickered even as he snapped his fingers.

"Let's go boys!"

Toad struggled but those guys not only outnumbered him and anyway were stronger than him.

"Let me go! It isn't funny guys! Come on!"

"No chance buddy," said one of Duncan cronies as he pushed the struggling youngster, marching towards the restroom.

***I'm fucked! I am so fucked!*** thought Toad with growing panic. But even so he wouldn't surrender, if only for his friends' sake.

Toad had given up on hope but continued trying to make it difficult to his tormentors. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! He wasn't going down without a fight!

Yet as much as he boosted he knew that he was lost unless someone came to the rescue, which was rather improbable if not impossible. There was still ten minutes to the next period and all his team mates where in their classes. Right now he would accept even the help of Pietro's spooky (yet hot!) sister if it meant being free of Duncan Mathews.

"Leave him alone." he was surprised when he heard someone speak out for him.

Words were spoken with a foreign accent, oriental, though he did pick up on one thing in them going beyond mere words.

Anger.

Toad's eyes snapped open even as he felt the guys holding him, frozen by the same surprise he was feeling.

Who would risk his neck for him? That's when they spotted his rescuer.

He was newcomer that was clear if only because no one messed up with the school's football team's star player when he had his brand of fun. Few people had the gall to do so, Scott summers being one of them but he had the vantage that he was a special student and his legal keeper, Xavier, had many contacts in the school meeting board.

Toad looked at his impromptu savior.

He was tall with his raven black hair tied in a braided pony tail. He seemed Japanese or something like that even if Toad was sure that blue eyes were rather rare in oriental folk. He seemed fit, with muscles clearly outlined even with his clothing that marked his body's forms yet he was one against four, what is more, football players.

Still something within Toad was screaming danger within him. He may not have the others' powers but having something animal within is genetic make-up, he was able to pick things others didn't... And right now his gut instinct was screaming at him to run. It was like being in the presence of Sabertooth or the X-Man Wolverine.

The only thing that kept him from using his mutant powers to get the hell out of there was the fact this guys seemed pissed *at* Duncan.

Still the school's first jock and his friends had nothing nearly alike to animal instinct. To them this was a newcomer that, while seemingly fit, couldn't hope to get past them and was overstepping the bounds any freshman had.

Duncan neared the newcomer, a sneer under his helmet.

***Fresh meat for the grinder! Asshole is about to learn who runs this place.*** Duncan foolishly thought.

"Listen pal you better blast off now that you can. I never have seen you before so I'm being fair and letting you go. Now while I'm in a good mood"

Ranma looked at the guy in front of him, dislike wheeling in him. If he hated one thing it was bullies. It was something that stood against what composed Ranma's inner core as a martial artist.

He would have liked nothing more than show this jerk one thing or two about being the one in the receiver end for once, however he needed to be careful, while he could control his transformation and claws he could still hurt the guy with his bare fists alone.

Ranma eyes gleamed as an idea popped in his mind.

***Time to test those lessons Doc Tofu gave me.***

"Well aren't you going' to move away?" asked Mathew's with a voice that said clearly that he was pissed.

Ranma grinned, the ever present smirk that drove wild Ryoga, Mousse, Happosai, Genma and dozens of the world's more powerful martial artists.

Against that a jock like Duncan Mathews stood as much chance as a snowball in hell.

"Oh I would but I don't give a damn about what a stupid coward bully like you wants."

Duncan's indignant yell was all he needed before trying to punch Ranma. His fist was about to connect when, somehow, Ranma moved out of the way. The next thing Duncan knew he was on the ground sprawled after something hit the back of his knees.

Quickly he rose and turned as he rushed towards Ranma in a football tackle. Ranma's grin widened as once again Duncan was sailing through the air, ending in the ground sprawled, butt in the air as if he wanted someone to kick it.

Toad couldn't help himself and exploded in laughter.

He knew this guy could have torn Duncan apart and yet he was humiliating the schools' brightest sportsman, the captain of the football team, one of the school most popular guys and he was making it seem so effortless.

***And me without a camera! Ah who cares this is so worth it!***

Duncan could feel the heat rush to his cheeks as he heard Toad laugh, he was being played like a fool in front of his team mates but also in the presence of the guy he wanted to humiliate.

This time Duncan composed himself before attacking. This guy was fast, maybe faster than him but if he used his brains along with his brawl then this smart ass was a goner.

Duncan neared Ranma that was standing there in his basic stance meaning hands behind his back, head slightly tilted to one side as he awaited a grin upon his lips.

Duncan lashed out with a right hook. Before feinting and lashing out with his left hand, closed in a fist. Once again the new guy evaded his attack, leaning back in an angle of 45º in a way that seemed to defy gravity.

Following his move, Ranma spun and dropped as he executed a leg sweep on Duncan, taking him off the ground and making the older guy to fall on his back while Ranma finished his move.

It had been so fast, fluid and incredibly controlled that it left Toad and the others with their mouths open in astonishment. Toad had seen Pietro move way faster... but the sense of danger had but increased after looking at Ranma do what was almost physically impossible for the average human.

This guy had to be a mutant, there was no other explication. But what the black haired boy had done... Toad would have sworn that he hadn't used any mutant power.

***What is he?*** Toad wondered for the first time.

Duncan grunted, his protections had reduced the pain so in no time he was up, anger powering him now, making him rush towards the Asian guy a couple of four hit combination, fast and packed.

Still the Asian guy evaded it all, even yawning as if it was boring...

Which of course made Duncan even madder at the raven haired youth. He was now cursing under his breath and pressing the attack even more as Ranma continued dodging everything the jock send in his way.

***He was so, so, *soooo* slow!*** Ranma thought as he wasn't even trying anymore, finally he decided to end it.

"You know? Cover your leg work better buddy." he said in a calm voice before lashing out with a well-aimed kick.

Duncan eyes widened at Ranma's words as the pig tailed youth moved quickly towards his legs.

The football captain smirked. Sure that guy would send a kick toward him but he would be hitting one of his protections, causing no damage at all. That would leave him open to a counter move and then he would make him eat his shirt.

The kick connected and Duncan smile grew…for a second and half.

That's was when surprise overwhelmed him as he actually felt pain coming from his leg, from where he had been kicked and had been protected.

The surprise faded to leave place to the pain and the pain passed to be pure shock as Duncan felt all the muscles in his leg lock, sending him crashing into the ground.

His hands moved quickly to his locked leg and began feeling it, Ranma looked from the fallen form of Duncan to his cronies that were still holding Toad. His face had lost all friendly expression and Toad and the other football players would have sworn that the blue eyes gleamed with some kind of light.

"Who's next?" his voice was cold and even the air seemed to turn cooler as if suddenly the temperature had dropped noticeably.

Duncan's friends swallowed hard before looking at each other and blasting out of the place leaving Toad and Ranma along the downed figure of Duncan Mathews.

Ranma then turned to look down at his "opponent".

He sighed before reaching for the collar of Duncan's uniform and pulling the jock up before slamming him against the lockers as he had done before with Toad. Duncan eyes blinked full of fear as Ranma bored him with his own steel like gaze.

"Listen here jerk. I don't know what your deal is but you should stops being such an ass. Bullies are to be despised, got that? And I dislike bullies, picking on those weaker than you is proper of cowards. Now I suppose that you will leave this... past time of yours, right?"

Duncan nodded.

"Good."

And with that he dropped the stunned football player that looked up unsure.

"W-w-what about my leg?"

"Don't be a sissy, your leg's muscles will unlock by themselves in some minutes. Give it time." Ranma replied with a snicker directed at Duncan's pathetic form "One last thing though."

The quarterback looked up, wincing. The voice had none of its owner former anger but it was cold and once again Toad and he noticed the dropping of temperature.

"Y-yeah man?"

Ranma kneeled to be at Duncan's eye level pointing at Toad with his thum.

"You apoligize to him."

Toad looked startled, his eyes moving from his savior to his former aggressor and back.

Duncan swallowed, if there was something that the young man understood was orders. He got them continuously from his coach, yet this one packed more power than the ones from his trainer.

"S-sure. I'm sorry Tolansky."

Toad dumbly nodded still not believing what was happening.

"One last thing." Ranma added.

Duncan looked back, his voice had been almost kind but when he opened it again and spoke there was steel in them.

"For your own sake, hope I'll never hear that you have been a bully again. Got it?"

Duncan started to nod vigorously, his eyes wide. There was no mistake in those words, in the not so hidden threat.

Ranma glanced at Duncan's leg. Straightening, he pulled the older boy with him, lifting him without any effort what so ever.

"Your leg should be fine by now so buzz off!"

Duncan just tested his leg and, noticing that it was once again normal, blasted off the corridor following his mates. Ranma turned towards toad only to find that he was long gone.

"Huh…fast little guy. Well too late to ask directions now I guess."

***Damn map is more confusing than Miss Hinako's English lesson.***

With a sigh he left to find his way around the school.

_Meanwhile in another area of the school…_

Jean Grey stared absentmindedly at the black board, her mind a million miles away. Any and all concerns of being caught by the teacher were ignored. After all she was Jean Grey; Grade A student, star player for the women´s soccer team, dating the Quarterback…the perfect student, part of the elite.

Oh how she hated it all!

In her mind she was living a farce; she was a mutant trying to fit in a world that despised her kind out of fear. And up until two days ago her life both with her teammates and the one she had crafted for herself outside of Xavier´s was perfect.

Then Wanda Maximoff, a young woman claiming to be the sister of Quicksilver, came and shattered their reality. For all their confrontations with the Brotherhood never before had they felt as powerless as they did that night.

They had returned home humbled, she could still see Scott wearing a look of disbelief and failure, Evan ranted about payback, Rogue was quite ill tempered than ever and Kitty and Kurt were shocked.

***And me? I just froze like I was going into the Danger for the first time.*** She thought grimly.

The faculty each had seen their moods and in their own way tried to be supportive.

Ororo had been like always, supportive of them in a more open fashion than Logan, giving them words of hope and concern, even if she had been more preoccupied by Ethan as his over present confidence had taken a huge blow.

Logan had remained silent but his eyes seemed to burn everybody that locked gazes with him. He seemed to be radiating anger and fighting spirit in massive quantities, his eyes seemed to tell them that one way or another Logan wouldn't let them surrender to their own depression, even if he had to kick them until purging that feeling from their systems.

Hank offered his wisdom earned through years of experience as both a teacher and scientist. Telling them to learn from this experience and push onward instead of letting it drag them down.

The Professor in turn stood vigilant and caring as many had come to expect of the man who had offered his home as a sanctuary for them. He took the time to ask if they wished to speak with him, he particularly directed this offer to Scott who as field leader of the team took their defeat the hardest.

Her attention was brought back as the class bell rang and alerted the students that it was time to leave. Jean blocked out the bad memories and gathers her things, hopefully the others would be in a better mood today.

_Meanwhile with Ranma…_

It was official even with aid of a map he had somehow gotten turned around and lost.

***How in the Hell do I get lost with a map! What am I? Pig boy?*** He thought with some frustration.

It was then that the school bell rang and a mass of people entered the halls. Seeing this as an opportunity to get some help, however this was easier said than done as most of the students were in their own little world.

He soon was about to give up when he saw something that drew his attention, a girl to be precise but one he recognized easily, after all how many teen women had a white stripe down the middle of their hair.

***One of the Siren's? Here?*** He asked himself as he spotted the mutant known as Rogue.

He would have approached her but the moment their eyes made contact she gave him a warning look. But he also saw some hidden pain in her…she wasn't pushing away out of malice but something else.

Ranma would did wonder what it was that was bothering her but he chock it up as none of his business, With a shrug he turned around…only to crash into another girl.

Years of martial arts training and waitressing for the Amazons allowed him to quickly grab the unknown girl by the waist, stabilize her and deftly catch the books that flew out of her arms all in the span on seconds.

***And without using any stupid powers to use them.*** He thought proudly.

Jean gaped at how fast the young man in front of her moved, and she wasn't the only one as Rogue caught sight of him just as he caught Jean.

"Here you go miss, sorry about getting in your way." Ranma spoke as he offered her the books while he took in her appearance. ***Wow…she is definitely a looker, heck she'd give Shampoo a run for her money, though she looks awfully familiar…oh crap! She's another one of those Siren's!***

Jean for part was confused, the person in front of her seemed to recognize then his attitude changed into a case of nerves, almost as if he found something unpleasant about her.

***I wonder why? He couldn't possibly know I am a mutant so what gives? And why does he look so familiar?*** She asked herself before accepting the books.

"Thank you for the save and I should have watched where I was going." She replied with a disarming smile, hoping she could get him to relax.

"No problem, I'm Ranma Gunshin by the way." The pony tailed youth spoke as he extended his hand to her.

"Jean Grey, pleasure to meet you Ranma." She replied as she returned the gesture before asking a question of her own. "I hope you don't mind me asking but are you new here?"

"Yeah, just transferred."

"I see, are you a senior?"

"No, but I guess my looks throw people off."

***I'll say…*** Jean thought to herself as she took his appearance much in the same way he had done. ***...great body, handsome face, and those eyes, I've never seen eyes like that except on Logan.***

"Well you look like you could use some help." The red head continued.

"Well I…" he stopped whatever he was going to say as he suddenly felt a great fear from nearby due to his telepathic abilities.

He soon spread out his Ki trying to locate the case, he ignore all the ambient sources as well as Jean's questioning.

***Where is it…there!***

"Sorry…I…I have to go, it was nice meeting you!" He spoke before heading towards the cause leaving a perplexed girl behind.

"Weird guy." Jean heard as she saw Rogue coming towards her.

"I guess…" Jean replied before looking around "…hey have you seen Kitty?"

_In another part of the school…_

Katherine "Kitty" Pryde was not having a good day. In fact she could say that this was among the top ten of worst day ever in her life.

First was their defeat at the hands of the Brotherhood thanks to Pietro's freaky sister. Then today someone decided to make them all late by means of a prank (for which she has vowed to find the one responsible and neuter them with a pair of rusty scissors!).

She had barely managed to get to class on time, getting the stink eye from the teacher and snickers by the alumni. What made matters worse was the fact that she left her homework in her room along with her wallet!

She had thought things couldn't get any worse but lo and behold, Pietro and Lance had cornered her at her locker room with no one close enough to help her.

"Well, well, well..." The mutant known as Lance Alvers AKA Avalanche spoke in a mocking tone "What do we have here? A lost kitten?" he asked to his partner in crime "And she is not with any of her x-geek friend's right, Maximoff?"

The speed demon grinned even as he pushed a silvery strand of hair back.

"Right. And that's such a pity." He said with a fake sad tone while smirking at her.

After their defeat she should have expected something like that. Though she had thought that Lance would have at least spared her the trouble or try to convince the others to let them lick their wounds before rubbing salt in them.

***It doesn't make sense! Why are they even here bothering me**?*

She snapped out of her thoughts, it wasn't the right moment to start wondering why they were after her as she had to get out of their reach...

"Now girly you'll be coming with us." said Pietro even as he moved towards the young girl.

***I'm in trouble! With that idiot I don't have a chance to run away from him, he's too fast! Think Kitty, think! What would Scott or Rogue do now?***

She backed away until she was touching her locker. She would have to phase through it but if they called to the Blob or even worst yet Pietro's crazy sister...

"Don't make it harder for you girl. Now you're coming with us!" said Quicksilver smugly.

"Get lost jerk!" she called back even as she backed a step more.

Lance took her by her arm, hurting her.

"Move!" he ordered as he ignored both her and his discomfort.

"Let me go you idiot!" she shouted.

"Shut up!" said Pietro.

"Why don't you two leave her alone?" A new voice suddenly cut through the growing argument.

Lance, Kitty and Pietro turned none of them recognizing the voice. It wasn't one of the teachers or even Kitty's friends. It was a young Asian male with raven hair tied back into a braided ponytail of all things.

And he wasn't looking very happy at the moment as his eyes bore into the boys.

"She told you boys to leave her alone. Are you two deaf or simply stupid?"

Kitty nodded as relief washed over her, then concern. She had never seen him before so he had to be new here. No one in the High School would dare to face Pietro's group after the figured out that there was something different and dangerous about them.

Both Pietro and Lance looked at each other's not liking being called stupid by this unknown person, though they had to admit he was rather imposing. Theor attention was brought back as he continued to mock the two.

"Why don't you let her go? Or are you losers feeling good going two against one? And against a defenseless woman? You're nothing but cowards!" He openly mock as he glared at the two and receives a look of awe from Kitty.

The corridors were now emptying as no one wanted to be in the way, Kitty soon found herself free, as both Pietro and Lance's attention was focused in the new guy. She saw Quicksilver tense but before she had time to shout the silver haired mutant was moving, too fast to be seen.

Pietro Maximoff, better known as the Speed Demon, raced against the idiot that dared to bust in their fun.

***Nobody calls me stupid and a coward! Nobody!*** His mind railed as he cocked back his fist and aimed for the unknown saviors face.

His fist was about to connect when Pietro had the surprise of his life, making him halt so great was his shock. A shock mirrored in Kitty's and Lance's faces as they saw the other boy's arm move with a speed as great as Quicksilver's, catching his wrist.

_From Ranma's perspective before the attack…_

Ranma's blood was boiling. If there was one thing that truly bothered him was the strong oppressing the weak, it stood against both his code as martial artist and his morality he had forged in an attempt to be less like Genma.

The girl, she had to be at more two years younger than him, was looking like if trying to appear strong but Ranma could sense her hidden fear. From what he could get of the feelings going on between the three of them there was a long story behind this bullying. Still she seemed to know that if they had achieved to take her with them she would be passing a bad time.

All kinds of scenarios passed through his mind and none of them looked good.

He had sense their odd Ki flows and soon scanned their auras, all three were mutants. Whatever their powers were he did not know, all he cared about was putting an end to this travesty.

Anyway the one with the strange silver like hair attacked after he had called their attention and Ranma's eyes widened by the speed he was picking, had he not also been unwillingly granted great speed he would have been impressed.

Ranma suppressed a grin as his mind analyzed the threat the silver haired boy posed as the fist was now instants away from his face.

His own hand flashed with speeds rivaling Pietro's, catching his wrist. Then with his finger he pressed a nerve cluster, making the silver haired mutant to fall to his knees even as Ranma continued holding his wrist and maintaining the pressure on the cluster.

Lance tried for a sneak attack with a right hook but Ranma easily saw it coming and proceeded to twist Pietro around while maintaining his hold on the wrist and keeping it pinned behind his back painfully.

From there he got Lance´s outstretched fist and did the same.

"Agh! Let us go creep!" Maximoff spoke beore another painful groan escaped his mouth as Ranma added some pressure to the boy´s wrist.

"Apologize to her." The martial arts prodigy ordered.

"Ugh! W-what!" Lance asked through gritted teeth.

"I said apologize to her…NOW!" he told them again as he slightly increased the preassure.

"Okay! Okay! We are sorry!" Pietro cried out.

"Yeah! Sorry! Now let us go you ass!"

"I will but if I catch you doing this again with her or anyone for that matter I will find out and I will make sure to enforce this lesson…painfully." With the threat delivered he let them go.

Both stumbled past a surprised Kitty though not before Pietro delivered a vicious glared. Ranma simply looked back coldly as he delved into the Soul of Ice to add to the effect. Quicksilver soon left.

***I am going to make him pay!*** Ranma picked up from the boy.

Ranma sighed as he saw them run away, human or mutant all bullies were the same kind of trash in his eyes. Then he turned towards the young girl. She had brown hair put in a ponytail as two long bangs framed her cute face.

He smiled his best smile as he neared her.

"Hey are you all right? Those two losers did nothing to you, right?"

Kitty looked up to her savior.

He was quite tall for one thing, with a pair of deep blue eyes set in an attractive face, eyes that shone with concern for her. She looked at him at his well defined body and his friendly smile, before she smiled herself.

***He is so hot!***

"Yes I'm fine, thank you very much for helping me!"

He seemed taken aback with her enthusiasm. Idly he scratched the back of his head.

"Ah that's nothing." he said embarrassed while looking at her face.

For a moment she seemed to smile but her features soon turned concerned.

"But now those two will go after you..."

"So?" He asked as if it was nothing, which to him was exactly that.

"Well I mean they are dangerous... they have... you saw how Pietro moved that fast..."

Ranma looked where both young mutants escaped before looking back at her.

"If you mean that they are mutants then don't worry. Those jerks, with powers or not, are losers."

Kitty looked at Ranma strangely. What he said could be taken as if he knew that they were mutants but if so, then how? And if he knew that Pietro and Lance were mutants then there was a distinct and disturbing possibility that he knew that she was one too.

Was he also a mutant? If so what were his powers?

Kitty tilted her head and looked at her "savior" intensely. Suddenly she was stroke by the fact that she seemed to have met Ranma before. He was familiar and yet she wasn't able to pin-point where she had met him before and what was more he seemed to call her mind upon Logan.

***But that was ridiculous!*** She chided herself for thinking that.

Suddenly she noticed that she had been staring at Ranma longer that it was proper, quickly averting here eyes from his, blushing what made Ranma rather nervous.

Ranma was indeed feeling nervous.

Why if she had recognized him? And the way she looked at him?

In a mind rush his brain tried to come with a witty remark or something like that... Unfortunately his brain, as ever with a situation concerning a girl (being it romantic or not), sucked.

So he comes up with the best next thing along his brain…his stomach.

"Do you know where I can buy lunch here? I'm new and I don't know the place that well." he said, relived to be able to say something coherently.

This seemed to fit well as Kitty smiled, obviously feeling relived to be out of the uncomfortable situation they were both in.

"Sure I oh…I don't have any money on me." she replied with a crestfallen look on her face.

Ranma regained some of his anger when he heard this but controlled his temper.

"So those two bullies took your money?" He asked coldly ready to dish out some more punishment.

She looked up at him, somewhat embarrassed yet touched at how he worried about her.

"It's not that... but I had a bad morning, so I kind of forgot my money. I was going to ask my friends but then those two jumped on me."

Ranma nodded in sympathy before speaking as he understood the situation "Bad day huh?"

Kitty nodded albeit reluctantly.

"I can relate, not too long ago it was strange to not have a bad day but I never let it pull me down. So you don't have money to buy you lunch... Well then let me invite you." He offered with a small smile directed at her to help cheer her up. It showed that even he knew how to treat a lady when he wanted to.

Kitty seemed embarrassed by that unknown young man. Not only had he saved her from Pietro and Lance but also showed such kindness. He calmed her own fears even if now he had enemies and on top if everything else now was inviting her to lunch.

***I wonder if he´s single?*** She thought before leaving such thoughts behind…for later, in private.

Ranma as if feeling her reluctance spoke, fighting to find the correct words.

"Look if it makes you feel better, you can take this as a way to thank you for showing me the way. I'm new here and I don't have friends. So it will be a pleasure if a cute girl like you helped me."

Kitty could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks

***He... he called me cute!***

"Ah... well... in that case yeah it will be a pleasure."

Ranma smiled a smile that could raise the heartbeat in anything female.

"Lead the way." then as if realizing something, asked. "I just noticed that I don't know your name."

Kitty looked at him.

That was right.

"Kitty Pride. And you?"

"Ranma Gunshin, nice too meet ya Kitty." he offered his hand. Kitty took it, noticing the gentle strength behind it and the warmth of his skin as she shook it.

"Nice to meet you too Ranma." She replied before they both headed towards the cafeteria.

***Maybe today isn't so bad at all.*** Kitty thought with a bright smile on her face as she took his hand and lead him towards the cafeteria.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

This was inspired by the Fic called The Evolution; it was a shame that the story wasn't continued it was a very good as far as Ranma/Marvel crosses go.

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 5 part 2:

_Bayville High, in the cafeteria…_

Both Ranma and Kitty had taken their place in line as they waited fr theose in front to be served. As they did Ranma took note of his surroundings and found a group of people staring at him…

***Wait, they aren't staring just at me but also Kitty?***

He observed them discreetly and saw that Jean Grey, Jubilee as well as the Goth girl from earlier were with them, further study revealed two things. They were all mutants and they were in varying degrees of anger and depression.

He also noted that the one with dark blue hair seemed off somehow, as if he was surrounded by some sort of illusion.

"Hey Kitty?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know those people over there?" He asked as he nodded towards them.

Kitty looked to where he was indicating and waved at the group. Some of the younger ones waved back, but the older ones seemed to be brooding which put a damper on her mood before turning to address her rescuer.

"Yeah, those are my friends, I'm sure you'll like them." She spoke with a slightly forced smile.

"Maybe some other time…I was kind of rude to the red head, Jean I think she said her name was, and is it just me or do they look like their depressed about something?" Ranma asked.

"Well…we, um, had a bit of trouble this week."

"I can relate to that, we should hold off on the meet and greet when they feel better. I don't want to impose on a bad situation."

"But it's like your first day! Besides I bet you and the others would get along great." The young mutant spoke as she felt he shouldn't be alone on his first day in school (though she forgot that he didn't officially start until tomorrow as he had previously explained.).

"Heh, I wouldn't feel right to intrude…besides knowing my luck I would say something that may upset them even more."

"Not on my watch they won't." Kitty said with a pout.

"Uh Kitty I think it's your turn." Ranma spoke as he spotted the lunch lady throwing a stink eye at the young girl.

"Oh! Uh sorry I'll have…" she spoke embarrassed will Ranma simply chuckled.

Ranma, true to his word, had paid for her lunch and his after they made their selection. If he were honest the quantities he received would be best classified as a snack.

***Still food is food, so long as it isn't the Tomboy's I'm good.*** He thought before turning his attention back to Kitty who was trying to convince him to sit with herself and her friends.

"Come on please!" She asked sweetly while giving him puppy eyed look.

***Soul of ice, Soul of Ice, Soul of Ice.*** he repeated as he had to force himself to resist the bane of all men.

"Not today…but perhaps tomorrow?" Ranma ventured hoping strongly for a yes.

"Promise?"

"I, Ranma Gunshi, so solemnly swear that I will eat lunch with you and your friends tomorrow." He spoke in semiserious tone.

"Okay, but remember or else I'll hunt you down!" She spoke with a hard look that was ruined by her smile.

Ranma rolled his eyes at the display but found himself smiling at her antics.

***Feels just like when I talk to Uk-chan.*** He thought to himself.

"All right oh great and terrible Kitty…" he said earning a giggle from her "…no go before we waste the hour."

"Yay! See you later." She cheerfully said as she left to join her team mates.

Ranma simply watched her until she sat down, he felt oddly protective of her. With that done he soon found a vacant spot and sat down to eat his…snack. Before he could begin though he felt as if being watched, he surveyed his surroundings and found himself the center of attention of the students, particularly the female members.

*Sigh*

"_Here we go again…_" he muttered before digging in.

_With the X-men…_

*Sigh*

"He is just so handsome." Kitty spoke with an obvious twinkle in her eyes.

"Who?" Amara asked.

"The new guy." Kitty replied as she maintained her eyes on Ranma as he ate.

The others there followed her line of sight and soon spotted him.

"He doesn't look so great." Roberto spoke with a clear case of male envy as he spotted a lot of girls looking at the newest alumni.

Kitty just gave him a dry look.

"Please! He is like a total package, he is handsome strong, caring and he totally outclassed Pietro and Lance, even when Pietro used his powers. He is like so awesome."

"Oh yeah." Jubilee added as she took the time to admire her savior.

"You know him?" Kitty asked thus making everyone turned to look at her.

"Yeah, I met him on my way here. After that stupid prank…" she paused as she gave Jamie a discreet look, one he caught and tried to ignore.

***I am soo going to punish him!***

"…I ran to get here on time, I slipped on a puddle and landed in street." She paused to take a drink of her soda.

"And? What happened?" Rahne asked her friend, while she looked between her and Ranma. Her animal mind telling her that there was something unique about him, something that called out to her feral nature.

"Well this car was barreling down on me and I was frozen stiff. Then out of nowhere he swoops in and saves me before I can become a street pizza. He asked me to show him to Principal Kelly's office, but again I saw we weren't going to make it in time. So he grabs me in his arms and runs like he's in the Olympics or something and gets us here with minutes to spare." She finished her story with a smile directed at the unaware martial artist.

However it was Evan who picked up on something Kitty had said.

"Back up Kitty, did you say he caught Pietro when he was USING his powers?" Storm's nephew asked while he stressed that particular word.

"Yeah! It was incredible Pietro and Lance had me cornered when Ranma, that's his name by the way, came in and told them to buzz off. Well Pietro got angry and rushed him using his powers when bam!" They jumped when she slapped her hands together for effect "…his hand gets caught and then Ranma poked his wrist and Pietro was on his knees…"

"He had him on his knees!" Jean exclaimed in surprise as she gave the pony tailed martial artist a look over her shoulder, she wasn't the only one.

"Then what happened?" Scott asked while looking intently at the young man being spoken of.

"Lance takes a swing at him and before he knows it Pietro gets spun around with his hand behind his back and Ranma grabs Lance's arm and has him in the same position. He then made them apologize to me and told them never to bully anyone again or else he would teach them a lesson."

"Damn!" Evan exclaimed with a smile at the thought of Maximoff and Alvers getting humbled.

Kitty then called out to Jean.

"He also told me he was sorry for being rude to you, he said he left because he heard me in trouble… though now that I think about it I was being very loud when I shouted." Kitty spoke with some confusion.

"So where were ya?" Rogue asked her roommate and friend.

"I just came out of the Home Economics class."

Both Rogue and Jean were wide eyed when they heard that bit of information.

"There is no way he could have heard you, we were nowhere near you." Jean replied as she looked between Kitty and Ranma with an ever growing sense of confusion and curiosity.

Every one of the senior mutants and some of the younger ones looked at the young man in question. Scott was particularly interested, from what he understood some abilities could be derived from their main power like Jean limited empathy.

***But super speed and above normal senses have nothing in common, Quicksilver doesn´t even show signs of this but this Ranma person does?*** The team leader thought.

"Hey…" Amara began to speak as she narrowed her eyes while looking at the raven haired youth "…is it me or does Ranma look familiar?"

"I had the same impression when I met him." Jean spoke.

"He kind of looks like Logan." Rogue commented.

"Hmm, you know you´re right he does look like him." Kurt added now that the topic was brought up.

"But that doesn´t answer the question of how he stopped Pietro or how he knew that Kitty was in trouble." Scott pointed out.

Jean decided that they needed an expert opinion on the matter. So she closed her eyes and focused her telepathic powers.

***Professor?*** She sent to her mentor. Silence greeted her at first before she felt the calm soothing presence of the Professor´s mind.

***Yes Jean? Is there something you or the others need?*** He spoke gently to her.

***The others and I were wondering if there have been any recent signs of mutant activity. Specifically in the last hour or so.***

***None that I am aware of, Cerebro hasn´t shown any readings all day. Why do you ask?*** The Professors mental projection spoke with some curiosity.

***It may be nothing but…there is new student here and some us think he might be a mutant, though we aren´t positive.*** She replied.

***Hmm, perhaps some investigation is in order. Do you happen to have this person´s name?***

***His name is Ranma Gunshin.***

***That´s…interesting, if I am not mistaken that´s a Japanese name.*** The Professor replied with a note of intrigue in his voice.

***Sir? Why is that interesting?*** She asked as her own curiosity was peeked.

"**Their names often have some hidden meaning, in his case it could be used as a sort of warning but I am getting ahead of myself. Try to stay clear of the young man until we can get all the facts.**"

***Okay…if you say so professor.*** Jean replied before she felt the connection cut.

Coming back to the present she found the other waiting on what the Professor had to say, she simply shook her head and spoke.

"Sorry guys but the Professor said that there has been no mutant activity so far."

They all silently thought on that as they tried to reason how Ranma was capable of doing all he had done at the moment…which did not last long.

"Rogue! So there you are luv." The English accented voice broke their thoughts as they spotted Risty Wilde approaching the girl in question.

The southern girl smiled openly at her friend who had come over with a tray of food, which reminded her that her own tray was left untouched what with all the talk of the new guy.

Risty sat next to her before giving her diverting her attention towards Ranma.

"Well, well is he a looker." The British girl spoke as she gaze at him before turning to look at Rogue "…Now I don´t not about you my dear but a man that fine should not be alone." She finished before grabbing the girls arm and pulling her up and towards the subject of their current thoughts.

"Wha…!" Rogue unfortunately never got to get a word in as she was taken completely off guard while the others were surprised by the sudden turn of events.

Kitty and Jubilee quickly regained their senses before sharing a look and nodding to one another. In sync they lifted their trays while picking up both of the recently departed girls trays and moved towards their prey…uh yet to be made acquaintance.

Rahne and Amara were now in a quandary, should they join their fellow female compatriots in welcoming the mysterious new student or stay with the others. They turned to Jean for guidance, noticing how intently she was looking at Ranma, while sharing covert glances at Scott as if awaiting some signal from the X-men´s team leader.

***Go for it Jean…and try to keep Kitty from smothering him.*** He added at the end while a smile blossomed on his face.

***No promises but we´ll at least make the effort.*** She sent back before turning to look at the remaining girls "Well ladies let´s go meet the new guy." She spoke cheerfully as she grabbed her tray and stood up to join the others, the other two soon following suit.

With that done the boys were left alone in surprise and a slight case of envy.

"Boy is this guy lucky or what?" Bobby asked not realizing how far from lucky Ranma considered being surrounded by a pack of women with any kind of interest in him.

Kurt would have answered but something caught his eye.

"Uh-oh, looks like ve are not the only ones interested in him mein friends."

True enough all the remaining X-men and New Mutants spotted the Brotherhood looking at the new guy, and they were not friendly looks either. The senior students shivered when they spotted Wanda with them also staring intently at Ranma like something to be dissected.

Toad´s reaction was interesting as he appeared fearful of Ranma, and Fred just kept gorging himself paying no mind to his teammate's frame of mind.

"Think we should keep an eye on them?" Evan asked Scott who looked to be thinking on all the possible angles on the Brotherhoods interest in the new student who had trounced two of their members.

***I get Pietro and Lance´s reaction to Ranma, but what is up with Wanda´s and Todd´s? Something is definitely up with them.*** Scott strategic mind was in overdrive as he went through all the scenarios presented by what little information they had on Ranma.

"We keep an eye on things and only intervene if things escalate…" Scott replied before a smirk work its way towards his face "…besides, something tells me it won´t be Ranma who will need the help."

_With the Brotherhood…_

Pietro and Lance were not in a good mood. What originally started out as a planned to demoralize the X-men after their defeat had been quickly backfired on them when an unknown ruined their ambush on Kitty.

Lance had been pestered by Pietro to go with the plan despite not wanting to antagonize her, now however his anger was focused on the martial arts prodigy. It grew even more when he saw the way Kitty was looking at him while they grabbed lunch.

Pietro´s mind set wasn´t so far off except that it was his pride that was wounded. Despite the return of Mystique and the arrival of his estranged sister he had been on a high after they achieved a victory on their rivals. That high was soon brought down hard by Ranma´s manhandling of him.

He still held his wrist that had been struck with the pressure point. His thoughts on the young man involved many vows of retaliation.

***He is so dead when I get my hands on him!***

He took stock of the situation and saw that Lance shared in his thoughts regarding the new boy. Fred was making a pig out of himself; Wanda was looking at the boy in a way that unnerved him and Toad…he´s reaction actually surprised him.

"Hey Toad!" Quicksilver called out to gain the boy´s attention before pointing at Ranma "…you know that guy?"

"W-wha? No way man I ain´t never seen him before." Toad replied with an unconvincing smile.

"You´re lying." Wanda spoke up with a frosty tone and a cold smile on her face as she continued to watch the topic of their conversation. "And don´t bother denying it, I know when people lie."

***No thanks to you **_**Father**_**.*** She mentally spat at the mere thought of him.

"Okay so maybe the guy rescued me from a swirly by Duncan and his goons, but that doesn´t mean I know him." Toad quickly explained, Pietro would have pressured for more but was interrupted by the arrival of one Tabitha Smith AKA Boom Boom.

"Hey boys! What the what today?" The short haired blonde asked.

"H-hey Tabby…" Blob immediately stuttered in the presence of the pretty girl before offering his tray "…uh, want some?"

"Ah that´s sweet Fred but I have mine already, thanks anyway." She replied cheerfully.

"I-it was n-nothing." He replied with a blush.

Tabby just smiled at the bashful giant before turning to look at the others and taking note of two of her roommate's heated glares.

"Whoa…who shitted in you corn flakes?" She asked the two while earning a smirk from Wanda.

"The new guy sitting over there had a difference of opinion with them." The Scarlett Witch replied for them.

Tabby turned to look at the person at took note of all the attention he was getting, especially from the women.

***Hmm, I can´t say I blame them he look delish…huh, he kind of looks like Wolvie.***

"So what he muscle in on one of your girls?" She asked as she took a bite of her hamburger.

"More like stopped them from having a chat with a certain Kitten." Wanda replied as Lance directed a glare at her…though he quickly thought better when she arched an eyebrow at him as if daring him to try something.

Tabby scowled at the two for that, she may not live at the institute anymore but that hardly meant she was out to get them, she rather enjoyed Kitty's company and peppy attitude…most of the time.

"Well serves you right, especially you Lance." Boom Boom spoke harshly as she made plans to bomb their beds later tonight.

"Me?" The earth manipulator asked in surprise.

"Yes, you may have just bombed your chances with her."

"I don´t…you…she.."

"Who cares about that! I want some payback on that guy." Pietro shouted at them.

"Um…maybe we should back off guys…" Taod tried to rally as he did not relish the idea of fighting the man who helped him and trounced Duncan so easily "…I mean he beat YOU with your powers so..."

Unfortunately the reminder of his defeat was the last nail in the coffin for the silver haired speedster.

"We are going to get him after school…ALL of us, clear?" the son of Magneto growl out at the weak willed boy.

*GULP*

"S-sure P-Pietro, w-whatever you s-say man."

"Careful bro…" his sister spoke up as she rose from her seat "…you may have bitten off more than you can chew." She said as she walked away.

Pietro just ignored this until he turned his sight at Ranma and saw hi looking at them, he nearly marched up there when Ranma delivered a smirk that said one thing "I am better than you."

"After school." He muttered.

_With Ranma during the Brotherhoods talk…_

"They call this food? No wonder those American teenage movies make such a fuss about it." He said to no one in particular as he slowly chewed his spaghetti and meatball.

Right he was going over his plans after school, specifically if he should approach Xaviers now and seek the answers he sought about himself, his powers and see if he knew where his Father was.

His musing however was cut short.

"Hi there!" A young woman's voice spoke with noticeable accent spoke, making look up to see a dark violet haired woman and the Goth girl he had seen at Kitty´s table.

"Uh…hello?"

"Is this seat taken?" She asked.

"No, go right ahead."

"Thanks, I'm Risty by the way and this is Rogue." Risty spoke as she sat while Rogue sat next to her.

"Oh i´m Ranma Gunshin." He replied as he held out his hand in greeting. Risty shook it while Rogue simply waved.

Ranma took noticed of her reluctance to shake his as well as the aura around her.

***Man! And I thought pig boy was depressed, she´s practically swimming in It.*** He thought with some measure of surprise as he saw the sickly green look of her aura.

"Are you okay Miss?" He asked as he knew that despite his tendency to put his foot in his mouth when it came to women, he couldn´t help but feel the need to help.

***Mom would probably say I am being manly or something.*** He thought with a hidden smirk.

"Yeah, why do yah ask?" She replied in turn.

"You look kind of sad."

Before the southern born mutant could respond though…

"Can we sit here?" The unmistakable voice of both Kitty and Jubilee spoke as they arrived with their friends treys.

Ranma simply blinked as he was caught of guard by the arrival of the two girls he had previously rescued.

"Thanks!" They said as they sat and placed the additional treys to their respective owners.

Risty and Rogue shared a look while Ranma tried to make sense of the sudden appearance of the two.

"Um…Kitty?" he spoke gaining the girl´s attention; she looked at him with her big brown eyes and cheerful smile that resounded with innocence.

"Yes?"

"Didn´t we agree that tomorrow we´d do this?"

"Well you see…" she paused to think of a good answer "…you said that YOU couldn´t come today but that didn´t mean I and the others couldn´t." She said with a nod as she proudly at her having found a loophole.

"Well…I guess that´s true." Ranma replied as he scratched his head trying to make heads or tails of the situation.

"Besides…" Jubilee spoke up "…I owe for saving me and getting me here on time. The least I could do is giving you some company on your first day."

"Oh that…" Ranma spoke as he recalled the days earlier events, personally he didn´t see what the big deal was, he did and more back in Nerima "It was no problem."

"You saved her life and you don´t think that it was that important?" Risty asked in surprise.

"It was no big deal; I just did what anyone would have done." He replied with modesty as he had similar feats back in Nerima. He was simply following his code.

"Maybe from where you are but…" Kitty started to speak but paused when a thought came to mind "…come to think of it, where are you from? Are you really from Japan or were you born here?" She asked with enthusiasm while smiling at him.

***Well I suppose there wouldn´t be any harm in telling her…right?*** Ranma asked himself hoping that he wasn´t about to make a mistake.

Before he could do so another voice chose that moment to enter the conversation, once more he found himself wondering if he had pissed off a Kami in his previous life.

"Can we join you?" The unmistakable voice of Jean Grey grabbed all the girls and boy´s attention.

Giving off a soft sigh he nodded, if they picked up on it they didn´t show it. He did take note how Jean seem to garner the attention of the girls minus Risty, there something about her that set her apart from the others.

She and the others took their places before Jean decided to break the ice and learn him.

"So what were you guys talking about?" She asked.

"Oh we were just asking Ranma where he is from, but he seems shy about it." She added with a mischievous look on her face that earned her a blush from him and some chuckles from the girls.

"I am not shy about it, I just don´t think that would be very interesting." He replied with as much confidence as possible, though frankly he was nervous as hell.

"Oh I don´t think that…" Jean commented as she looks at him "… I happen to find Japanese culture fascinating. You are Japanese right?"

"Yeah, I was born there."

"Wow, hey is it true that in Japan your names have a special meaning?" The red head asked with noticeable curiosity.

"Yeah, it has do with how write them. They represent ideas, some families don´t think their important while other do." He finished hoping that would satisfy their curiosity…no such luck.

"But in Japanese culture you say it inverted right? First your family name if I'm not wrong." Jean said to him, not seeing the harm in talking about it.

"You seem awfully familiar with my culture." He asked neutrally as if he felt he was being led into a trap.

If Jean was aware of the suspicion he felt she gave no sign of it.

"I just find Japanese culture fascinating and since this is a rare opportunity to talk to someone from there I couldn´t resist asking."

"So how would you present yourself in Japan?" Rahne asked shyly, before looking down.

Ranma looked at her blinking.

Jean looked at her young friend too, suddenly realizing that Ranma didn't know Rahne or Amara.

"Ranma, I want you to meet Rahne and Amara. They too are a long way from

home."

Ranma's face softened before the younger girls that until now had been silently looking at him.

"It's that true? Where are you from?"

Rahne looked at him, at his blue-gray eyes before speaking. She decided that she liked Ranma, liked how he smelled even if it was strange; there was something that resonated with her.

"I'm from Scotland." she said, not being able to hold his gaze.

"I'm from Brazil, an obscure part of the region." said Amara trying to put all her confidence that streamed from her place as a princess.

"Nice to meet ya. I know how difficult it can be to be far from home... if you have some problem and I can help well I'm here." Ranma said with an open smile.

Both girls nodded, feeling strangely comforted by that simple declaration.

Yet before they could answer Rogue's voice cut once again, her interests clear even through her flat voice.

"So how would do you present yourself in Japan?"

"With Japanese I would present myself as Gunshin Ranma."

"So Gunshin is your family name? What does it mean?" asked Jean however before he could answer...

"Uh-oh." Kitty spoke up as she spotted something from the table with the Brotherhood.

While the girls were discreet with their observation, Ranma was far from it as he openly smirked at them. From the reaction of the two he had disciplined they caught sight of it and only intensified their anger.

"What are you thinking!" Rogue hissed as she saw what he had done.

"Baring my fangs at two cowards." He replied calmly.

"But…aren't you worried they might get back at you?" Amara commented as she and the others in the New Mutants had been told of the Brotherhoods reputation.

"Let them try…" Ranma replied as he looks at her with a great intensity in his eyes. "…as a martial artist it is my duty to protect the weak, that means I don't back down from anyone who thinks they can abuse others just because their strong."

The girls could practically feel the strong belief he had in his ideals, it was quite impressive.

Mystique, under the disguise of Risty, however had to keep herself from frowning.

***This could be troublesome, I'll have to keep watch and make sure those idiots don't do anything stupid that could jeopardize our plan.*** she thought before listening to him continue.

"I have personally seen what some…some _people_…" he spat with venom, causing the girls to flinch, as he thought of Sinister and his lackeys "…who seem to believe that just because they have power, in whatever form, can abuse it to suit their needs." He sneered as he subconsciously clenched his fists.

The girls looked at one another wondering who could have done something to him to get that kind of reaction. Jean was about to speak when the bell sounded, signaling the end of the period reserved to eating.

Ranma chided himself for losing his temper, when it came to Sinister his mind always went to a dark place. He quietly grabbed his tray without looking at them and with a grace and an ability that they generally only saw counted times in Logan (and in one case in a mutant called Sabertooth) Ranma rose, turning his back to them.

Yet Jean's hand flashed, taking his wrist in her slender fingers.

Ranma turned to look at her, even as all the eyes were looking at him.

"Please, tell me what it means?" her green eyes seemed to bore in him, and strangely enough he felt compelled to answer her.

***What is it about her eyes?***

Ranma shrugged, before speaking in a clear voice that Jean, Rogue, Kitty, Jubilee, Rahne, Amara and Risty could hear perfectly even if it only reached them.

"God of War." And with that said he left the group of young women with more questions regarding the young martial arts mutant prodigy.

He was unaware the planes the Brotherhood had in store for him.

_Later…_

Ranma was glad the day had finished the day; he had found a teacher who had come in on his day off and offered to help him when he saw he was in his class.

"Thank the kami that's over." He muttered as he headed towards the exit, his thoughts were on the discussion he had with the girls.

He just couldn't understand why he had told them those last words regarding his past experience. Though he did not outright tell them he was a mutant and had been experimented on he still felt the need to vent.

***But why them? Why did I answer that red head's question?*** He tried to work out an answer through his impressions of the girls.

***Kitty and Jubilee are very…what was that word the American's use? Cheerful? Yes, they are very cheerful and I could see myself being friends with them.***

***Rahne seemed kind of shy but she and that Amara girl look nice enough.*** He recalled also that Rahne seem to be submissive in his presence, he would have to find out why later.

***Rogue seems kind of moody; she never did say why she seemed depressed. That Risty girl is hiding something… I can feel It.*** He thought as he recalled her mood changed when he mentioned his code. She may have thought he wasn't aware of the people around him but if you lived in Nerima long enough you developed a keen awareness of your environment.

***Jean Grey, there is something about her that sets her apart from the others, as if she shares some higher standing among them. I don't know why but I get the feeling she is searching for something about me…but what?***

His thoughts were interrupted as he sensed raw hostility towards him. He almost smiled, his mind thrown back to his time in Nerima, it was a feeling that he was starting to miss.

He looked around him and it was easy enough to find the source of the hostility towards him.

Pietro, Toad, Lance and the Blob where all there as if nothing, but their eyes were all glued to Ranma, sending the pig tailed martial artist a clear message.

Time for a reckoning.

Ranma gave an infuriating smirk before he nodded to the group and quickening his pace exited the school grounds. The other students as if picking up the growing tension started to move, faster, their expectation growing.

Once Ranma was out of the grounds Pietro walked boldly towards him even as the other students surrounded them, more quickly arriving. Pietro noticed it and his smile grew as he thrived for attention and this was just the kind he liked.

***Your ass is mine now!*** the speedster thought vainly.

He stopped just in front of Ranma until they were face to face, all expecting sparks to fly between the two teenagers. With a smirk he started poking a finger in Ranma's chest.

"You and I have something to finish. You were lucky to take me off guard but I'm the best and I'm going to prove it."

Ranma snickered not concerned at all by the young mutant in front of him but more by the attending public. You would only need someone picking bets to be in Furinkan once again.

***Ah the memories, seems like I've found the American versions of Kuno, Ryoga and Mousse…and Taro if the fat one could be considered that.*** He thought as he was already thinking up ways to take them down.

"You're the best? And the best likes to pick on little girls like a prick? And the best needs the help of his little friends?" he said gesturing to the other three.

Pietro's face flushed crimson.

"That was none of your damn business! And they here only to see how you kiss the ground."

Ranma's smile widened into his trademark grin...something Pietro was growing tired off like some many of his enemies had done so in the past.

"So you want a fight? Why should I waste my time with someone as pathetic as you? As you here say; you suck."

Laughter sounded around them as It wasn't often when someone get to insult Pietro Maximoff. Needless to say that didn't sit well in the young mutant.

Pietro's eyes gleamed dangerously as he picked a handful of Ranma's shirt, pulling Ranma near him (Only because he allowed him to do so). He was about to speak when another voice sounded.

"Leave him alone Maximoff!" Both Ranma and Pietro looked towards the source of the voice. A young man of their age approximately, with red glasses came near.

Pietro's face showed annoyance and Ranma merely curiosity. He didn't need help but even so he was intrigued. That was one of Kitty's mutant friends and an aura of power came from him but strangely it was centered totally in his eyes hidden by the thick red crystal of the glasses.

"Piss off Summers this has nothing to do with you!" shouted Pietro as he directed the glare he had on Ranma towards the X-man.

***And look there´s the rest of the little goody goody´s***

Scott balled his hands into fists even as his glasses glowed red. Ranma could feel the power coming from under them and while not too concerned he knew when to respect it, as someone holding that kind of power and not using it could earn his respect.

"Anything you and your friends do concerns me Maximoff! He did Kitty a favor when he dealt with you and Lance. That makes him one of us. Now let him go!

Ranma turned to look at Scott, ignoring completely Pietro.

"Look... not that I'm ungrateful and all, but I don't need any help with this idiot loser and his posse of wimps…" Ranma spoke calmly before smiling in gratitude at the boy "But thank you all the same."

Before Scott had any time to say something, Pietro reacted with his usual unnatural speed as he pulled Ranma nearer to his crimson face.

"What did you call me?" he shouted while the rest of the Brotherhood (minus Toad who wanted to be anywhere but here) glared at being called wimps by this upstart..

"Idiot. And a loser. And I should say untrained to boot."

Faster than what Pietro was able to be in such close quarter Ranma rammed his knee in Pietro's gut…

"Oof!"

Before head butting him square in the face…

"Argh!" Thus making the young Maximoff shout in pain even as Ranma completed his assault by gripping one Pietro's wrists, and executing a basic Aikido move that ended with Pietro pinned to the ground at his mercy.

Scott, his friends and all looking at the exchange between Ranma and Pietro were astonished.

Not by the speed he used, that was nothing spectacular, but by the fluidity of it. It had been like looking at a gale of wind move swiftly, efficiently, bringing down the other youth.

Even as he twisted his lock upon Pietro's wrist and shoulder he was speaking at him.

"No matter how fast you are if you close too much to your adversary you lose your vantage. And your anger, man you remind me of the tomboy!"

Lance, Toad and Blob were looking as surprised as the others yet recovered faster from their shock as Pietro screamed in pain as Ranma forced more the resistance on Pietro's joints.

As one they attacked.

Toad was the first to move and with a jump was flying upon Ranma with a drop kick ready to strike... even if he knew that it wouldn't mean anything.

The pig tailed martial artist, looked up, looked at the other two and sprang into action.

He pressed some nerve points that would lock some of his opponent's muscles, pinning him like some butterfly on collection.

***One down three to go…***

His hand caught Toad's legs just as he moved out of harm's way and with a spun him against Lance, slamming Toad against Avalanche. Both crashed into the ground.

"Augh!" "Ow!" both boys cried out respectively.

That left Blob, who was quickly advancing towards him, to attack without even considering the well being of his comrades in the Brotherhood.

"I am the strongest! You can stop the Blob!" The large mutant bellowed as he sent a fist towards Ranma as soon as his meaty arms were in range.

Needless to say Ranma was hardly impressed as slap it away with no sign of strain as he redirected the force of the blows much like Happosai would do to him in the past.

He did so repeatedly while Fred´s frustration grew. The behemoth even tried to use kicks but everything he used was too *slow* against a martial artist of Ranma's level.

Said martial artist was by now was yawning making some of the people in the crowd and the X-men to laugh, something that further enraged Blob, making his anger grow even more. He couldn't stand people laughing at him.

"Man you are slow! Way too slow!" The pony tailed boy mocked as expected from him when he fought, after all an angry enemy was a sloppy enemy.

He dodged and deflected until he started to feel bored by it all. By that time the massive mutant was starting to breathe hard and to sweat profusely, not used to fight against someone as Ranma.

***Time to finish this**.* he decided as he tired of the fight, if it could be called as such.

Ranma waited some more until a moment when the Blob would be too overextended and passed into action. He ducked under one of the clumsy swings and with precise hits to certain points in the back of the Blob's knees sent the giant mutant violently crashing into the ground, making it shake enough to be felt by the others surrounding them.

Before Fred had time to react he felt a finger pocking the back of his neck and for him all was but darkness.

Ranma rose from his kneeling position after using a pressure point to send Fred Dukes to La-La-Land. He looked at his would be attackers that were all in the ground moaning and snorted.

"Pathetic."

Then he looked at his surrounding and what he saw made him distinctively nervous.

As far as he could guess all the school student body had been looking at his confrontations with those four and now they were all looking at him with strange looks.

He could see the young man that had tried to help him, Kitty, Jean and lots of others with amazed looks.

Even that strange girl Rogue couldn't hide her surprise.

***Not good.***

Ranma scratched the back of his pony tail and with a nervous smile said the first thing that crossed his mind.

"Sorry about this."

To be continued…

_And now the final entry in the Sinister journal…_

_The final splices have been done and the results are interesting to say the least._

_It would appear that once more some fine tuning will be required once the subject's, mind is made more malleable to my orders._

_He indeed possess the Master of Magnetisms powers however when he is in his metallic body these powers gain greater effect, while as a counter point he seems only capable of summoning electrical storms and fire power electric blasts as opposed to his nonmetallic body where he wields the powers of nature...albeit with wild and unpredictable results._

_Hairbag found this out the hard way when the boy accidentally summoned hurricane level winds and slammed him into a support column, I had to put him down to get him to shut up about the pain…it was only a broken spine._

_Note to self from now on have only those with either healing factors or high endurance guarding the boy._

_In the end I selected the Braddock girl as my psychic template; it is much too early to acquire Miss Grey´s DNA strand. Also I have notice that the few samples I have of Mr. Summers DNA when combined with hers yield fascinating results._

_It seems a study shall be needed to see just how far the combination of the two would when I wasn´t so focused on this endeavor…it shall be quite illuminating._

_His telekinetic abilities seemed to be boosted by the magnetic forces he now wields. While he has greater range with his TK his telepathy remains within the originals level, whether this can be balanced out remains to be seen._

_However now, now I have the perfect weapon ready to do my bidding…once he sees things MY way of course._

_It was easier said than done as I soon came to realize. The boy has…SOMETHING in his mind that prevents me from entering without causing significant damage. Normally I wouldn't care but his exceptional combat capabilities must not be lost._

_I had Malice try to find out what it was…she screamed her current host's lungs out when she was forcibly ejected from his mind. It took a month to get her even near the boy after that._

_This is both incredibly frustrating and outstanding at the same time. In the end i chose to weaken his mind with the only thing he seemed to understand…pain._

_I while have to block all his powers but his healing factor, from their I will run 1000 volts into his body with increments of 500 until his mind is sufficiently weakened. Then I myself while enter his mind while I strengthen my mental assault with my equipment._

_The time for playing around is over, Project: Amalgam will come to close, I will obtain my weapon and once I have it I will use him to breed warriors the likes of which the world has never seen._

_With him acting as my enforcer, and with more to come should I succeed, nothing can stop me now, absolutely nothing._


	7. Chapter 7

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

Well here we are again folks, sorry for the delay but I was caught doing my thesis for my Engineering degree (That was accepted! Awesome!) As well as attempting to overcome my writers block for my Buffy stories (which still remains…Damn it!).

Still haven´t found a Beta for my stories so I hope you take that into account when reviewing this chapter. And good news everyone! (I don´t own that phrase either.)

After this I'll begin work on a chapter for one of my Halo stories….but which one you ask? Well that is a surprise… ^_-

On with the story!

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 6:

_The Brotherhood Boarding House…_

Mystique was not happy, not happy at all and the reason for this state of unhappiness was, as always, the result of her wayward charges messing with her plans.

She was currently in her room at the Boarding house; she made sure to make frequent visits so as to establish this was still HER room, especially to the blonde bimbo who thought she could claim it like she was someone important.

She was aware of the circumstances behind her dwelling with the boys but her sympathy only ran so far. The only bright side of having her here was she kept Wanda company and calm while also making sure the boys stayed in line.

***Of course that didn't happen today? Did it?*** She thought furiously as she thought back on the day's earlier events…

_Flashback…_

In her disguise as Risty she had arrived just as the fight, if it could be even called that, ended. Needless to say she was both angry at her wards and astonished that the boy she was hoping to sway to her side had defeated them so easily and quickly.

Pietro was still struggling with his locked muscles, Lance and Todd were still in a heap and Blob… was sleeping?

***How in the Hell did he do that! From the looks on the faces in the crowd he did not use any powers to take on those three idiots, but maybe he used some form of telepathy on Blob.*** she thought as she saw the boy relax yet not completely as if he expected more to come.

***He's obviously a fighter…and a very good one if his posture is anything to go by.*** Mystique concluded as she drew from her own knowledge in CQC.

"What is going on here!" The unmistakable voice of Principal Kelly boomed as he and a couple of other teachers arrived to see the end results.

The boy…Ranma, looked nervous going so far as rubbing the back of his head in nervousness.

"Uh…it's my fault sir." He confessed honestly, probably in hopes of lessening his punishment or so the shape shifter believed as she had dealt with such excuses during her time as principal.

"Care to explain son?" The man said neutrally while crossing his arms, though before Ranma could explain she saw Shadowcat suddenly appear next to him.

"They started it sir!" She exclaimed earning a looks of surprise at her for coming to the new guy´s defense. Mystique briefly saw a look of hurt on Lance's face before directing a glare at Ranma.

***Maybe that will get rid of his stupid infatuation on her.***

"They were picking on me earlier and Ranma came to my defense. And well they thought they should get payback." She said truthfully.

"Is this true?" Kelly asked the young martial artist.

"Yes sir…I don't like bullies, especially when they bother women." He added at the end as he looked adamant that he was not budging on that particular moral stance. This earned him some considerate looks from several females in the vicinity.

"I see…" Kelly spoke as he gave the boy a quick assessment. He nodded soon after as he finished finding whatever it was he was looking for.

"I will let this slide just this once Mr. Gunshin, but I expect that next time you come to me or a teacher if you see this happening again, I do find your vested moral fiber reassuring, just try and keep things civilized."

"I will try sir but if someone attacks me for no reason or as retaliation for upholding my code to defend the defenseless than I cannot make any promises."

"Fair enough…" He replied before turning towards the assembled students who had yet to disperse "…all right kids! Shows over! Move along now!" he said to them all, ignoring the groans and mutterings of discontent.

She did note the X-men took a bit longer to leave while sharing looks at each other and at the boy who had surprised every one by taking on the Brotherhood and winning. Said boy simply turned and left without even a glance at his opponents, though he did unlock Pietro´s muscles.

"As for you four…" Kelly spoke with utmost authority at the downed Brotherhood "…tomorrow bright and early, you four and I will be having a very long discussion about how you treat your peers as well as how much detention I will give you." With that he left them as the struggle to their feet and then struggled to wake up Blob.

_End Flashback…_

***That flatscan may like to wait until tomorrow but I'm dealing with those brats today.*** She thought as she spotted the group arriving just now from her window, Wanda and Tabitha were no shows but she had business with the boys right now.

She heard the door being kicked opened hard as well as the loud voices of discontent from her charges.

"I can´t believe that bastard owned us like that!" She heard Quicksilver shout as he kicked the door in.

"I told you guys he was dangerous!" Toad cried out still holding his back.

"Shut the hell up Tolansky!" Lance bellowed.

"Don´t take it out on him man, it was that Chinese dude we outta break." Fred spoke up in defense of the Toad.

"He is Japanese not Chinese you mindless ape." Mystique said coldly as she appeared at the top of the stairway.

***OH SHIT!*** they all thought simultaneously in fear and shock.

"M-Mystique…Uh w-what are you doing here?" Pietro asked, his voice betraying just how worried he is about her presence, something's she finds satisfactory.

"I had originally come to see a possible prospect in joining our ranks and to see if you did as told and capitalized on the X-men´s recent defeat; however what I find instead…" Her voice dripped with displeasure as she leveled a fierce scowl and a cold sneer "…is seeing you failing spectacularly at the latter and messing with plans regarding the former."

"Plans? You mean…" Lance begins to ask but later regrets it as she delivers her look of displeasure towards him.

"That´s right you nitwits that boy could be a very powerful element to our cause." She all but snarls at them.

"I knew there was something messed up with him!" Toad whimpers.

Pietro ignores him, as always, and decides to find out more about the person who had humiliated him.

"What can he do?"

"I don´t know, all I do know is that he could the one responsible for taking out a squad of Sentinels…by himself." She adds the last part in order to get her point across, though in reality she is only theorizing with what she knows at the time.

***Still this could be the chance to see if we can see just how powerful he really is.***

The boys are now gob smacked at the news; though they were forced to watch the news broadcast they understood its significance very well. They had yet to face a Sentinel but from what they had seen when they had gone into hiding they were ruthless, relentless and showed no mercy for anyone carrying the X-gene.

Now they were being told that the guy who had beat them could be the same one who destroyed the Sentinels.

*GULP!* they all swallow in fear before Blob decides to speak out.

"So what now?" Fred asks.

"Now you for will be getting more training done once Wanda and that Blonde miscreant get here, I have a phone call to make, and if you think Kelly will be hard on you wait until I decided what your punishments will be." The blue skinned woman spoke malice as she left for her room to call Magneto, like it or not she would need help on this one if she wanted to find out more about the martial artist.

She soon stood in her room gazing at the window in case Wanda returned, from her desk she pulled out a satellite phone and scrambler programed to reach two numbers specifically.

-Report—The voice of the Master of Magnetism stated, making her wish she could punch his face in for thinking she was still a slave to his whims.

***I will deal with him eventually.*** She silently vowed.

"There is something of interest in Bayville, possibly our anomaly."

-…can you confirm? — The man´s voice betrayed nothing but there was a mote of interest in his voice.

"Not fully…your son and his teammates decided to _greet _him before I could approach him at school." She spoke in a tone that spoke volumes of how displeased she had been with them.

-I see, I believe another chat between us is needed; it would not do for him to act out foolishly as he did when and the others chose to reveal themselves. — He replied neutrally, though she knew that he was not going to be lenient on the boy.

"Good, however back to the matter at hand…the boy´s name is Ranma Gunshin, a powerful hand to hand combatant who defeated all four of the boys and possibly a geokinetic from earlier observations."

-Hmm, powerful enough to defeat Sentinels by himself?—

"Unknown, perhaps if I could test him some way. Sabertooth and the Russian might be enough to get some interesting results." She offered.

-Sabertooth I could agree on but Colossus on the other hand…it is too soon to reveal my Acolytes.—

"It is only one of them, hardly the full team." She insisted.

-…Very well, I shall send them to Bayville to "test" the boy, if he should prove useful find a way to bring him into the fold.—

"Better do it soon, the X-men witnessed his fighting ability and I believe some suspect his mutant nature already."

-I will send them out immediately.—

"I will get a picture of the target and where he lives, what is the meet to take place?" She asked as she thought on where Kelly might place the boys personal files.

-On the roof of the Bayville mall, make sure that no one catches wind of this. — With that said he ended the conversation.

*CLICK!*

Mystique hid the equipment once more, turning to chew out the Brotherhood one last time before leaving to get the information.

***This shall be a most enlightening experience.*** She thought as she left her room.

_Meanwhile in at Xavier´s…_

Charles was in his study reviewing Cerebro´s recent sensor logs in order to find out if there had been any mutant activity that could have eluded him. However he soon sensed the approach of the children.

They seemed to be in a much better mood than last time even with the incident this morning.

***Best have a talk with Jamie about his attempts at levity.*** He thought as he left the mutant detection device for now and moved to greet them and perhaps gleam more on Ranma and his possible mutation.

After reaching the foyer he was soon joined by Ororo and Hank who felt the need to see how their wards were doing, it was their way of checking up on them since they worried they still might be sulking, however…

"…did you see the look on Pietro´s face? Oh man I would have given anything to take a picture!" Evan said with noticeable happiness in his voice as he was the first one in followed by Kurt.

"Ja! Perhaps vone of the other´s took a picture with zheir cellphones?" He asked out loud already planning to ask the few friends he had made outside of the X-men.

***Perhaps Amanda would have one.*** as he thought of the teen who had recently befriended him.

"I just hope they leave him alone…" Jean said as she Rogue and Scott entered next "…for their sake." She finished with a smile, one strangely enough shared by Rogue.

"Ah know! I wished to Gawd that Ah was there when Kitty saw Ranma take him and Lance down the first time." The southern Goth added.

"What I wouldn´t give to be in his arms again." Jubilee spoke wistfully "…it was so romantic." That earned some eye rolls from her fellow New Mutants while Kitty shared in her sentiment.

"Well you are in a fine mood my young friends…" Hank spoke up, happy that their charges were in a much better mood "…and to what or to who do we this most fortuitist turn of events?"

"Yes, it seems that that gray cloud has parted if you will pardon the expression." Ororo commented as she was glad they were in a better mood

"Does it have something to do with this Ranma person you mentioned?" The Professor asked.

"Yeah, he like totally beat up the Brotherhood by himself, it was so awesome." Kitty exclaimed with excitement.

It was at that point that Logan came in whipping his hands of oil from working on his motorcycle; he naturally heard the conversation as he came in thanks to his enhanced senses and decides to see what all the news was about.

"What´s this I hear about someone kicking the Brotherhood´s ass?"

"Logan! Language please!" Ororo scolded the older man who just let it pass right over him.

Kitty started the explanation.

"Well, it started when Pietro and Lance cornered me in the hallway and they were going to drag me away for who knows what when Ranma, that´s his name by the way, came up to them and told them to buzz off."

"Well they didn´t like that so Quicksilver uses his powers to try and like knock him out in one punch…but Ranma catches his fist! I didn´t even see him lift it! It was like one minute by his hip, the next he has Pietro on the ground digging his finger into his wrist and making him cry out."

"Then Lance rushes him but Ranma then twists Pietro around, grabs his arm with his other hand and has him kneeling next to him in a really painful hold, like the one you taught last month."

"Sounds like this kid´s got some moves." Wolverine commented as he pictured as best he could how the maneuver would go.

"Intense moves." Evan commented as he had enjoyed seeing his rival get trounced thoroughly "…I mean the chumps tried to jump him after school and Pietro got right up to his face and then the dude just takes him down in like 5 seconds."

"He isn´t kidding…" Scott spoke as he walked up to Logan until he stood at the exact same distance Ranma and Pietro were.

"He was this close then he just exploded into action, he wasn´t super fast or anything it´s just, the way he moved it was like watching a river flow. In fact he kinda moves like you do when you teach us martial arts." Scott ended as he stepped back while some of the others who witness the event nodded.

"Well now I am curious who this kid is, you got a name besides Ranma?" Logan asked and it was Jean who replied.

"Yes, he said his family name was Gunshin."

"Gun…shin?" Logan paused as that name brought to mine a woman he had cared for deeply, probably the only other woman aside from Mariko he had ever loved.

***Could he be related to Nodoka?***

"Yeah, he said he was from Japan and came here…" Kitty began to speak but paused as it occurred to her that they didn´t ask why he was in America "...wait he didn´t say and we forgot to ask."

"Well we can ask him tomorrow right? Besides I have to find out if he´s available." Jubilee said with confidence.

"Hey! I was going to ask him that." Kitty rebutted with a frown.

"Girls please…" Ororo intervened "…I´m sure there will be many questions regarding him but first shouldn´t a certain if he is a mutant or not?"

"Quite right Ororo…" Charles spoke up "…though I suppose we will have to monitor Cerebro closely for any signs, it has not registered anything since we talked Jean and there is no evidence of previous activity as well."

"Yeah but what could it be I mean we all agreed that Super speed and enhanced senses don´t have much in common." Scott said to his mentor.

"Enhanced senses you say?" Beast queried.

"Yeah, he was with Rogue and me when he heard Kitty far enough that we couldn´t." Jean replied while Rogue confirmed.

"Hmm, that is interesting; you are correct Scott in thinking the link between the two unlikely. Please keep an eye on the young man if for no other purpose than to make sure the Brotherhood do not hassle him, the boy seems like a good person for helping someone he did not know about." The Profesor spoke up.

Both the X-men and New Mutants agreed and soon went to their rooms to either plan the rest of their day or do any assignments they had pending. Logan however was still standing there with a pensive look on his face, one the other adults saw when the mention of Ranma´s family name came to light.

"Is everything all right Logan?" Ororo asks as she places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hmm…oh yeah Ro it´s just the kids name reminded me of someone from back in Japan." He replied honestly.

"Do you know the boy?" Beast asks him as he and the Professor approach.

"Not personally but the kid could be from someone I knew way back, will have to ask him if I see him." The feral mutant said to his colleagues now with a bit more confidence to reassure them…he owes them that much at least.

"Very well my friend, perhaps the children can arrange meeting between the two of you?"

"Yeah, I'll ask the Elf or Half pint later, right now I need a stiff drink so I'll see you all later." He said to them as he goes to the garage to get his bike, the others just accept this as typical behavior and let him move at his own pace.

If they only knew just what the connection between the two was.

_Later that night…_

Two metallic spheres glided through the night as they made their way towards the Bayville Mall. They silently touched down on the roof and with a hiss they opened revealing two fairly large individuals.

Sabertooth stood and aligned the bones in his neck as he stretched; Colossus just silently stepped out, his face revealed how much he did not want to be here.

Mystique was waiting for them with a manila folder tucked under her arm; barely making any noise she approached the two. Creed was sniffing the air in an attempt to familiarize himself with the area once more while the Russian on the other hand appeared to be all business.

***Get a better poker face Ivan, you aren´t fooling anyone.*** she thought as she could this was one of Magneto´s less willing recruits.

"You got our info?" Sabertooth asked gruffly.

Raven ignored the tone and simply pulled out the folder.

"This is the target, we need to know what he is capable off and whether he can serve our cause or if he´ll be a hindrance." She spoke to the two.

Victor opened the file and looked at an expanded picture of the boy, memorizing his features before handing the folder to his temporary partner.

***Another life this madman wishes to ruin no doubt…and with my help this time.*** Piotr thought sadly.

"When do you begin?" She asked more out of procedure than need, she knows full well the man began the moment he was told what to do.

"Tomorrow I scout the school and get his scent when he´s alone, then we can figure out when to play with him." He finished with a predatory smile on his face.

"Good, the sooner we get this done the sooner we can move ahead with our plans." She replied calmly, unmarred by the man´s obvious bloodlust though she had to make sure of one thing.

"One more thing, do not take this as a chance to sink your claws into Wolverine, the objective is the boy not him." The blue skinned woman spoke sternly to the feral mutant.

"Grrrr…"

"Are we clear Creed? Or do I have to explain to Magneto why you have let your personal vendetta get the better of you?"

"…Fine! But once we´re done, me and the runt will be getting reacquainted." He spoke before turning around and leaping done the building while Colossus transformed and chose to scale the wall.

***Better keep an eye on him, who knows what he will do now that he´s upset.*** the shape shifter thought as she transforms into a raven and flies away.

Ranma was in for a rough time and not only from unknown pursuers.

_The next morning, Ranma´s apartment…_

Ranma awoke, not to sounds of Genma shouting at him to get his lazy ass up, not to a bucket of cold water hurled by his cheating fiancée or even thankfully to the nightmares of Sinister´s lackeys.

No he awoke by himself in the best sleep he could manage despite the occasional nightmare. They were few and in between but not as bad as when he made it to his mother´s home.

***Gotta remember to write her a letter.*** He thought as he headed for the bathroom to relieve himself and shower.

After he cleaned himself and changed into a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt he went on to make himself breakfast and get started on his letter.

-Dear mom, Uk-chan, Konatsu, Tofu and the old perv´ (Yeah I call you that even in writting!).—

-I am well, I officially started school today…of course yesterday my typical luck ran true when I made some enemies for the local bullies.—

-Even better, their mutants hiding among the normal students, of course that doesn´t stop some of them from being bullies. Now if you know me you know how much I can´t stand bullies, powers or no powers I stand by my code as a martial...—

He stopped writing their as he pondered whether he could still consider himself a martial artist and not a warrior. After the Saffron incident where he had been forced to take a life he questioned just how much of him had changed after that.

He tried asking those he knew what defined a warrior, Genma and Soun had told him he should focus on Akane and not trivial things, his mother gave him a sad smile and told him that she wished she could give him the answer he sought, the Grandmaster was never around so.

In the end it was the Amazon Matriarch who gave him the answer he sought after, one that has stayed with him up until the moment he was captured by Sinister.

She told him that as a martial artist he was bound by his honor to always defend the weak and oppressed by all means…except for those that required blood to be spilled. But a warrior, they put aside their honor and moral code to achieve their goals by any and all means if it means to ensure that their code is upheld.

She went on to say that he could never go back to what he was, he was a warrior now, Saffron may have been reborn but in the he had struck down the ruler of the Phoenix, from now on he would live with that memory, but as a final piece of advice she said one thing that spoke volumes about his state of mind.

"_The true warrior is not the one who strikes the killing blow first but last, does not seek battle but meets it when it arrives._"

He had believed that up until the point where Sinister played with his genes and tried to rape his mind. He wasn´t bloodthirsty or had a desire to kill everything in his path but Sinister and his flunkies had brought out something that frightened him…yet a part of him desired.

He wanted to make them suffer, to maim them as many times as it would take to make them pay for what they did, It disgusted him but he enjoyed killing the Marauders and maiming Sinister, or at least the feline…no primal mentality did.

He was the alpha they were the omegas and they had dared to challenge him and paid for it. It was the reason he studied the scrolls Ku Lon left him, to regain some semblance of control over that aspect of himself.

He wouldn´t lie to himself and say that he did not experience a sense of euphoria when had faced off against the Marauders before the arrival of the Sentinels, that time his mind was in a state of balance with his primal nature.

***I need to make a training schedule or something to deal with all this before I hurt someone.*** He thought before taking a look at the clock nailed to the kitchen wall.

"Oh crap! I'll be late!" He shouted before finishing off his breakfast and left the incomplete letter on his desk for later.

***Kami, I just hope those goons will back off or else I'll show them what it means to bully me around.*** He thought as he grabbed a backpack filled with notebooks and papers and left his apartment.

_Bayville High…_

Ranma had arrived with minutes to spare despite being restricted to the ground as well as making sure his speed based powers did not activate. He made a vow to visit the Xavier institute that day, he had put off the meet for too long and he needed to deal with that situation as soon as possible.

However his thoughts and plans took a back seat as he entered the building and found a profound silence as his greeting. Everyone was looking at him and whispering, which he heard clearly.

"_Hey it's him!_"

"_It's the hottie who took it to the Brotherhood._"

"_I heard he told Maximoff that he would the living shit out of them!_"

"_Does he have a girlfriend?_"

"_If he does then she can kiss that sweet ass goodbye because he is mine._"

The young martial arts prodigy stopped at that one and discreetly looked over his shoulder and spotted a group of cheerleaders, the middle one a long haired brunette caught him looking and liked her lips slowly in a manner that reminded him of Shampoo after she caught coming out of the bath.

Ranma would have suffered a serious case of whiplash with the speed with which he turned, his cheeks were red from the clear message he got even without his telepathy.

"Good morning Ranma." He heard next to him suddenly. Turning to the right he saw it was none other than Jean Grey, wearing a smile on her face as she greeted him.

"Oh…uh Jean right?"

"Got it in one try." She replied cheerfully before she and him started to walk away.

"So ready for the start here in Bayville High?"

"Well so long as I do not see any more despicable acts like yesterday's bullies than yes." He replied with honestly, though in reality he knew that those four would be gunning for him until they realized they were not in his league.

***…or at least that´s how it went in Nerima, here they may be too stupid to realize that.*** the young mutant thought.

"So what classes do you have today?" The redheaded psychic asked him.

He silently handed her his sheet.

"Hmm, from what I can tell you have classes with me, Scott and Rogue in chemistry, Physics with Scott, me again in English, most of us will see you in Gym class and all three of us again in Math. So you won´t be alone so much." She added at the end thinking it would give them a chance to get to know him better.

"Who is Scott?" Ranma asked as he did not recall her or Kitty mentioning this person.

"Oh right…he was the guy who told Maximoff to leave you alone, the one with red glasses." Jean replies as she remembered that Pietro only said Scott´s last name no his first.

***Better remind him about Kitty´s promise.***

"Will you be joining us at lunch today Ranma? They guys were dying to meet you yesterday after you put the Brotherhood in their place."

"I was hoping to eat outside with Kitty, I do not wish to seem rude but your cafeteria´s food was not something I would usually eat." He replied honestly as he had prepared a lunch, not at his mother´s standards but frankly anything was better than what he had yesterday.

"Join the club…" his companion said with mirth as she knew full well how cafeteria food tasted in comparison to Ororo´s "…can we join you?"

"Well I do not see the harm…sure, I would like that Miss Grey." He replied with a small smile of his own as yesterday showed him that she was a rather pleasant person to be around.

"Great! And please call me Jean, I would to think we can be friends since you helped Kitty." once more Jean showed off her brilliant smile to the raven haired young man, found himself enjoying them.

***Tomboy´s smile got nothing on hers.*** He thought privately and desperately fought a blush.

"Hey Jean!" They both heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Oh hi Duncan." Said as her boyfriend came onto the scene, she was about to approach him kiss him on the cheek when he suddenly stopped and blanched.

She picked up a lot of stray thoughts he was broadcasting very loudly, mainly fear until her mind relayed one in particular to her.

***Ah shit! It´s that fucking maniac!***

"Well, well, look who we have here..." Ranma´s condescending voice broke the link and made her turned to look at him, he wore a rather arrogant smirk on his face, one reminiscent of Logan and directed at Duncan "…back for another lesson on why it isn´t nice to bully people?"

***Ranma caught Duncan bullying someone! No wonder he´s so scared.*** She thought while frowning at the quarterback.

"Duncan? What does he mean by another lesson? Have you been bullying people after I asked you to stop?" She asked accusingly as she had indeed seen him harassing some students and he had said he was just horsing around.

"Uh…I wasn´t…I mean he… " Duncan stammered as he tried to rally a response, sadly Ranma´s presence unnerved him.

"We will talk about this later, now if you´ll excuse us I have to help Ranma find his classroom."

"But I…" Ranma tries to refute the claim though Jean leans in before he can finish.

"_Please play along._" Jean whispers in his ear.

Ignoring the way it feels when she does that he nods…though he stiffens when she hooks her right arm with his left one.

***How do I get myself in these situations?*** He thought to himself as the mentally gifted girl led him away.

_Later…_

Ranma and Jean soon arrived at the classroom where they would part until later that day.

"Sorry about catching you off guard but I didn´t want another scene to happen between you and Duncan." She spoke as she moved a hair out of the way as she spoke to him.

"Why? He was no threat to me."

"Well, it´s just that from the way you had him squirming must mean you left him with rather strong impression of how to act around you. He may decide to vent later with someone else who can´t fight back."

"He won´t if he knows what is good for him…" Ranma spoke seriously as he would keep an eye out just in case "…I do not know his reasons for acting like he is the greatest thing to happen in this school, but I do not like or allow such dishonorable acts to take place if I can stop them."

"Well, the reason for that is because since he is the high schools premier quarterback he is untouchable. It´s all a popularity contest and he is one those at the top."

"I see…" he spoke as he recalled something similar back in Furinkan, his old schoolmates often said the same about him but he didn´t really like being in the spotlight much since all he got was trouble.

"Where do you stand in this…contest?" He asks her in open curiosity.

"W-what?"

"I am curious Jean; you said that in this place there is this contest that decides who is at the top and who is at the bottom. Where do you stand?"

*RRRIIIINNNNGGG!* the school bell rings just in time to save her from answering.

"Oh I have to go to class! I will see you later then?" He asks as he already starts to move away from her. Jean simply nods as the questions still left her thinking.

***Where do I stand? Huh, sometimes I wish I didn't Ranma, sometimes it's just not worth It.*** she thought a bit glumly as she entered her classroom.

_Meanwhile…_

Outside of the school Sabertooth laid in wait, maintaining himself hidden while Colossus was waiting for him to bring word on the target.

With a picture in hand he discreetly looked for his quarry, before finally finding him in a classroom by the west building near the basketball court. One of the windows was opened so he tried to catalogue all the smells there to begin tracking him and ascertaining his particular scent at a later time.

***What the? I smell the runt…*** *SNIFF!* ***…it ain't him but sure is close, what the hell?***

Creed was nearly spotted by a girl so he broke off for now and waited for a later opportunity. Mystique had handed him the boy's schedule and were he would be headed, he figured he could get a whiff of his scent during Gym since they needed to wear something more loosely for the class.

The more he waited the more he began to question the reason for why his nemesis smell was present. The hunt had taken an even more interesting turn for him now with this new variable, all he would need now was patience as an opportunity would present itself soon enough.

_Later that day…_

"Man…who would´ve thought that American teachers could be as boring as the Japanese ones?" Ranma spoke out loud as he headed outside for lunch.

The day had been fairly calm for him, a first if there ever was one. No death threats, no rivals and no fiancés. No sign of the Brotherhood yet, though that could be in lieu of their punishment by the principal and Mathews had also avoided him whenever he saw him approach.

***One less bully to deal with.*** He thought though he knew that Duncan would eventually try his luck when he was not around or outside of the boundaries of the school.

Still despite the peace he felt there was the nagging feeling that something was afoot, it started during History class he felt like someone was watching him. Then when he came back from Gym class, where the coach had hounded him to join one of the teams, he found that someone had gone through his clothes.

He discreetly opened up his senses and found a strange scent near them, very animal like that in a way that reminded him of C-Ca-Ca…big felines.

He kept himself on alert from then on, opening his enhanced sense as well as sensing the ambient Ki for any traces of hostility towards him. His telepathy was still too unrefined as evidenced when he tried to open himself to the thoughts of others…he nearly passed out from the overload of invading thoughts.

Nothing came to him though, whatever it was that had him on edge was gone…for now.

***Still better stay alert just in case.*** His thoughts were broken when he heard someone call his name.

"Ranma! Hey Ranma!"

He turned to look for the source and saw that it was Kitty and her friends.

***Wow, they must get along real well.*** He thought to himself as he spotted the large group of people coming towards him, he saw the founding X-men and some of the female members of the New Mutants who had joined him yesterday.

"Wow Kitty you sure you don´t have more friends waiting?" He said calmly as he took in the large group.

"Heh heh, wouldn´t you like to know." She said with an air of mischief in her voice and a twinkle in her eye.

"Hi, I'm Scott summers…" spoke the team's field leader as he held out his hand in greeting, Ranma easily recognized him as the young man who had come to his defense when the Brotherhood tried to jump him. "…I hope that Pietro and his goons didn't ruin your first day here."

"Nah, him and his…gang? Is that the right word?" He asks as he shakes the hand and getting a nod in return "…they are a rabble of weaklings who lack patience and discipline."

The group said nothing but did wonder if he was saying this because he did not see them use their powers or if perhaps believed his powers trumped theirs. Though they had yet to ascertain if he did have powers and what they were.

They shook off their curiosity for the moment; Kurt was the next to present himself to the enhanced mutant.

"Guten tag, I am Kurt Wagner." He spoke cheerfully as he gave a wave since he didn't want the young man to feel his furry three fingered hand.

"Hello…German right?" Ranma asked as he recalled one of his instructors from his youth was borne there.

"Ja…you have been to my country?"

"No but one of my sensei's was originally from there." He replied to the disguised mutant, he found it odd that he wouldn't extend his hand towards him like Scott. He figured it had something to do with his mutation and the field of energy that hid his form.

Evan was the next to step up.

"Hey there, names Evan Daniels and I gotta say it was pretty sweet the way you took it to Maximoff."

"He is nothing but a little fish in a big ocean, he believes he is all that as you Americans say, but all I see is an impatient child like someone I knew from Japan."

"Well if he gives you any hassle I got your back man." Spike replied as he held out his fist. Ranma understood the gesture and bumped it with his own.

After the three boys who had helped found the X-men introduce themselves they I sat in the nearby benches to eat their lunch and get to know the newest member to their school.

"So Ranma…" Scott started off with something he had been curious about since yesterday "…those were some very impressive skills you showed yesterday, what school do you practice?"

Ranma processed the question as he ate his five layer sandwich, how he could fit it into his mouth or eat it so quickly they didn't know or maybe they didn't want to, finally he decided that honesty was the way to go.

"I practice a style called Mukabetsu Kabuto Ryu."

"I never heard of that style, is it recent?" Summers asked as he was interested in what the martial arts prodigy had to say.

"No just not very well known, there are only 5 practitioners of the style, myself included."

"Why is that?" Jean spoke up.

"Well…the style is not for just anybody; it demands total and absolute dedication and a willingness to place your life on the line to learn it."

That stunned the teens as they could tell he was being serious about it.

"Whoa, and like how dangerous is it?" Kitty asked for the group.

"No has yet died but trust me I have the scars, broken bones and torn muscles to prove it is not for just anybody."

"And why would you learn somethin' lahke that if it's so dangerous?" Rogue asked in turn as she wonders what would possess someone to learn such a dangerous style.

"Wasn't by choice at first my fa…uh sensei took me on a ten year training trip across the world when I was six. He said he would turn me into the best practitioner ever to live and succeeded for the most part though some of his teaching I could do without." He finished as he thought of Jusenkyo and the Cat fist.

"And why would a world trip be necessary?" Amara asked in turn, though she fascinated by the idea of taking a world tour at such a young age.

"My style bases itself on incorporating all the strengths of many martial arts styles while filtering out the weaknesses then adapting them to suit my needs in battle." Ranma replied the foreign princess.

"How does that vork?" Kurt asked.

"Well…imagine starting off with boxing against any foe in a free style fight, now at some my opponent will adapt right?" He asks them as they go over their lessons with Logan and agree that the opponent would eventually adapt.

"What my style does is take away this opportunity by alternating fighting styles, I can go from using boxing to Tai Chi, from Muay Thai to Aikido and so on and I do so without losing the flow of movements." Ranma finished with pride before finishing his sandwich.

"Wow! So how many styles do you know? What rank are you?" Jubilee asked with excitement.

"There is to many for me to remember all of them but I know Karate, Kempo, Tai Chi, Shao Ling, Musk style Kung Fu, Amazonian Wushu, Savate, Boxing, Krav Maga, Tae Kwan Do, Jujitsu plus a whole lot of weird and obscure styles. And I have six official black belts; I stopped rating myself when I lost interest in keeping score, but trust me I am the best."

The group was stunned by hearing what the young man before them had said.

***No way, no way could he know that many. He'd have to be Wolverine to know so many.*** Jean thought as she tried to wrap her mind around the concept of someone that young being bred to fight.

"I know you don't believe me but trust me it's all true, I could show you something I learned to do thanks to my training but I don't want to scare you."

"Is it dangerous?" Rahne asked inquisitively as she found herself wanting to learn more of what he knew.

***Jean, maybe it's his mutant powers.*** She sent to Jean.

***I don't know… why would he show his powers to us? We haven't known each other enough for that.***

Which was true, Ranma seemed like a likeable sort of person but she doubted he would trust them with something so big, still...

"Would you please show us Ranma?" She asked kindly before she sent a telepathic message to the Professor.

***Professor, we're with Ranma right now who is about to demonstrate something for us, I believe it could be his mutation even if he is not aware of it.***

***Jean, are you sure that is wise? Perhaps you could bring the young man to the school so we can…***

However before the Professor could finish speaking Ranma takes a look around making sure there were no witnesses, he didn't want people to confuse his martial arts abilities with his powers.

***I hope I won't regret this.*** He thought to himself before answering the group.

"Sure I guess, just don't freak out and let me explain." Ranma spoke as he maintains his hands separate and concentrated.

***Too late now Professor! Better check Cerebro quickly.*** The redheaded psychic spoke as she and the others made sure no one was paying attention to them.

***Very well Jean, but be careful…*** her mentor spoke before his presence faded away, this happened just as Ranma began his demonstration.

As Ranma concentrated he decided to use his old method of gathering Ki through his emotions, in this case his confidence which manifested itself as an orb of blue Ki. As he did this he opened his senses to his surrounding environment to add another measure of security.

The X-Men and female New Mutants were mesmerized by what they were seeing.

"What is that?" Kitty asked in wonder.

"This is Ki; my life energy filtered through my most abundant emotion, in this case my confidence." He spoke casually.

***Professor, are you getting anything?*** Jean asked while staring at the blue sphere with wonder.

***…no Jean, Cerebro reads nothing on scanners.***

***What! But take a look at what he´s doing!*** she telepathically shouted in surprise as she established a visual link to her teacher.

Charles saw what the young man was doing and was astounded by it.

***Fascinating, Jean how is he doing this?***

***He said it´s thanks to his martial arts training, he calls it Ki, says it´s his life energy filtered through his emotions in this case confidence.*** Jean replied trying to wrap her mind around martial arts being capable of this feat, she always thought it was just myths that only took life on silver screen.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Scott lifting a hand towards the glowing sphere before hesitating, Ranma also took note of this.

"You can touch it, it won´t hurt you like this since I would have to concentrate harder for it to do so."

Scott took that in mind as he wondered what it would do to a person if they were struck by another life force. Still with renewed confidence he touched the sphere gently since he didn´t know if it would react violently if too much force was applied.

*GASP!* he let out when he felt the energy course through him.

"Scott, you okay man?" Evan asked with some worry.

Scott pulled away but still felt the effects.

"God…that was incredible, I felt like I could take on the world and win." Summers replies as he felt the effects slowly fade.

"Ooh let me try!" Kitty spoke up as she extended her hand.

"Whoa! That´s intense! Do you like always feel that way?" she asked their new acquaintance.

"Yep, have to since I've faced some pretty hectic stuff in my life. If I didn´t believe I could win then I couldn´t call myself the best."

***Or survive for that matter.*** as he not recalled Sinister but every life or death situation he faced before coming here.

They took note that his expression slightly darkened when he spoke, some wondered what could have caused that while the others choose to leave it be for when they know him better.

"Well that is cool but you better stop now or else someone might see you and accuse you of being a mutant." Jean spoke up, thinking this could be their chance to test the waters so to speak on the teen´s feelings on mutants.

***Maybe this way he can trust us and show whether or not he´s mutant.*** Jean sent to the Professor.

***Let us hope so Jean, good luck.*** Xavier replied as his mind pulled away from hers

Ranma did indeed stop and looked at Jean with a powerful look he reserved for his opponents when he analyzed them.

"Do you hate mutants Jean? Are they offensive to you?" He asked neutrally yet with a narrowed eyed gaze.

Jean was taken aback since his tone was calm…too calm actually.

"N-no…but…I was just saying people tend to be afraid of them for some reason."

"Because of ignorance and fear." He said for her with all honesty he could muster, much like his friends and family when they explained it to him when he made the same question as he look at himself and the changes he had received.

Kitty decided to both dig further into his words as well hopefully show that he could share his beliefs with them without fear of reprisals.

"Ranma, what do you think about mutants? Do you think their monsters like those people in the friends of humanity say they are?"

"No Kitty I don´t, in fact I say those idiots can jump off a bridge for all I care. They are nothing but a bunch of racists. Mutants are human beings too, they feel like us, they live and breathe like us and they have every right to exist like us." Ranma spoke with power and confidence in his words.

He was a mutant, by either nature, fate or whatever you wished to call it he had no choice in the matter when it came to his genes. But he would be damned before he allowed men who hid behind the false mask of righteousness dictate whether he had a right to live or die.

The group was all smiles when they heard that, not many people shared the same belief as their new friend. Most let fear guide them, and that fear led to hatred and a desire to destroy that which they did not understand.

But Ranma saw them as people regardless of their powers, and that made him a friend to be had in their books. Now all they needed to do was confirm whether or not he was a member of their species or just an ally they could count on should they ever be revealed.

"Ranma would like to visit our home after school?" Jubilee surprisingly asked the enhanced mutant.

"Uh… what?"

***They live in the same place? Wait a minute…if they all live together and all of them are mutants, then they must be from Xavier's!*** Ranma quickly deduced.

"What a great idea Jube!" Kitty exclaimed as she looked at her friend before turning to look at Ranma "…you should totally come Ranma I bet our self-defense teacher would love to meet you."

Which wasn't so far from the truth, Logan had acted strangely after hearing about the boy. She could've of sworn she saw him recognize his name when they spoke it yesterday.

"Hmm, where do you live?"

"It's called the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters; it's in Westchester so it wouldn't take us very long to get there." Jean supplied for the group.

***Well that just clinches it, now should I tell them I know they're mutants now or later? Hmm, better do it later at their place.*** He plans as he sees this as a good chance to establish himself as none threatening as possible.

"Sure, I would like that…is six ok for you guys? I have some things to take care off and I figure that would be the best time."

"Sure, we can have someone come for you if you want." Scott says to the raven haired young man.

***Maybe this way we can get to know him better before we tell him who we are.*** He thought as he was curious what more he could do and hopefully add to the team.

"Hmm, okay I guess." Ranma replied carefully as he didn't want to startle them by saying he knew where they lived and what they were. If experience had taught him anything it was that people tend to react badly to him if he came out looking suspicious.

"Great! And don't worry about getting back late, we wouldn't want to worry your parent's." The visually hampered mutant spoke, though he frowned when Ranma seemed pensive instead of relieved by the comment.

"Yeah about that…" The raven haired teen began to speak as rubbed his neck "…that won't really be a problem for me since I live alone."

"Wha? But why? I mean are you an orphan?" Kitty asked her new friend.

"Kitty! It's rude to ask him such a personal question." Rogue chided her roommate who had the decency to look a bit contrite for doing so.

"Nah that's ok, see I came to the country for two reasons. One, to get help with a problem I'm having and two, to find someone…my father, my real father." He spoke with utmost seriousness.

"Your real father? Talk about intense." Kurt spoke up as he tried to put himself in the martial arts prodigy place. He could tell from the boy's tone of voice that he had questions for the man who was his birth father; he too shared these feelings before finding out the connection between himself and Mystique.

"Whoa heavy stuff man, pardon my asking but you got any clues where to look?" Evan asked while the others looked on.

"Just a name and that he may be in this city, but still I need to find him."

"What about your mother? Did she tell you anything that might help? A picture maybe?" Scott asked as he felt for Ranma and would like to help him, he felt it was the right thing to do.

"Nope but I have a feeling I will find him soon, don't know why but with all I've seen and done I've learned to trust my instincts." Ranma replied knowingly and with a confident smile that had set his enemies into frenzy and earned many female admirers…some of the girls sitting with them were no exception as Kitty and Jubilee happily sighed.

"Can you tell us his name? Maybe we can help you out; the founder of our school has a lot of connections and even helped me find my brother when I thought he was lost." Scott spoke up as he saw this as perfect way to get on his good side.

However at that moment the bell chose to rang…

*RRRRRIIIINNNGGGG!*

"Time´s up, do any of you have a pen and a piece paper?" The ponytailed martial artist asked them.

"Yeah I got a pencil here and you can use my lunch bag." Rahne spoke up as she offered him the items.

"Thanks." He replied before he quickly wrote down his address. He handed it to Scott before picking up his empty food containers and turning to leave "…see you guys tonight then."

The group said their goodbyes and soon followed but made plans about how best approach the Professor in helping their new friend, despite not knowing his status as one of their kind they felt he deserved the help after aiding Kitty despite earning the Brotherhoods ire.

Unknown to them all however Sabertooth used his enhanced hearing from his hiding spot to listen in and began to make plans of his own, he had been growing steadily curious about the boy's scent that was so similar to his rivals.

***Be seeing you tonight boy…Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll send the runt. I'm sure he'll be real happy to see his old friend.*** the feral mutant thought with a sinister smile before he quietly left the area, already thinking of how to engage the boy.

_Later at Ranma's apartment complex…_

Ranma had returned home to finish his letter and do the first of his school assignments as he some time to kill before the arrival of whoever they sent for him. He had wrapped up the Journal carefully since he decide that Xavier's would help him get better training if they knew what they were dealing with in regards to his powers.

Still he felt oddly tense; the day's earlier feeling of being watched was still present. He kept himself alert during the trip to his temporary home but saw no sign of being tracked.

***Maybe I've become to paranoid for my own good, it's not like I'm back in Nerima for crying out loud.*** He thought as he lay in his bed, his thoughts on best explain his situation to the people who had approached him ran through his mind.

"Might as well be honest from the start, I need their help if I'm too gain control." He said to no one as he got up to get a snack. However he had not taken more than a step when his hearing picked up a vehicle approaching.

Calmly he walked towards the window and spotted a black van pulling up, he waited as two people stepped out, from the passenger's side exited a black woman with long white hair and from the driver's side was a short man with wild hair and a perpetual scowl on his face.

Using his aura sight he could see that both were mutants, the woman seemed to project calm and peaceful air around her while the man was the opposite as he seemed to be ready for a fight.

***Must be their self-defense instructor, I wonder what else he knows? Wonder if I can get him to spar with me?*** He thought as he went out to meet them, he grabbed the journal and put it in a back pack he purchased before stepping out and made his way towards him.

However that's when things took an unexpected turn…

As Ranma reached the bottom of the stairs he was suddenly grabbed by a large hand and slammed with considerable force into the wall…

"GUH!"

Sadly it did not end there as a fist embedded itself in his stomach and another cold cocked him in the temple, this blow knocked him out.

"Damn that hurt! Kid must have a really hard skull." Sabertooth growled as he shook his hand to regain some feeling.

"What the hell!" He heard Logan yell and smiled in satisfaction that his enemy was here to witness this, he would have to pay him a visit later when he finished "testing" the boy.

The senior members of the X-men ran towards them but their progress was soon halted…

From the roof Mystique dropped kick Storm in the chest…

"UGH!" The Nubian woman fell onto her back as the air was knocked out of her.

Using the momentum she gained the shape shifter righted herself mid-air and charged forward and quickly delivered a fierce right kick to the face that finally downed the weather manipulator.

"Paybacks a bitch isn't it." Mystique spoke with much disdain as she recalled how the woman had defeated her for a place in Asteroid M.

Wolverine had been stunned by her actions, though not for long as he unleashed his claws and prepared to engage her…

Or would have had he not had his shoulder grasped by someone VERY strong, strong enough that he spun around and only managed to catch sight of a big metallic fist that struck him in the face.

*CLANG!*

The force was enough to stun him long enough for the Russian powerhouse to grab him by both the belt and scruff of his shirt and twirl him three times before launching him like a ballistic missile into the X-van's front window and out the back doors where he skidded to a halt unconscious.

"Come on! That won't stop him for long!" Raven yelled as she moved towards and alley where she kept a rented vehicle they would use as transport.

"Hey Ivan! Flip their ride would ya…" Creed ordered as he hefted Ranma on his shoulders "…can't have any interruptions during our little spar, heh heh heh."

Colossus reluctantly did as he asked while quietly apologizing to the two downed X-men.

*CRASH!* the vehicle let out as the metallic mutant turned it on its roof.

"Nice job comrade, you may make something of yourself yet." Victor spoke as he moved towards the van.

"I take no joy in this or what comes next, and I care little for the praise of a murderer and sadist." Ptior coldly replied as he followed the feral man.

"HA HA HA HA." Sabertooth openly mocked as he chucked in the unconscious teen in to the back regardless for what damage he may cause.

"_I'm surrounded by lunatics left and right…_" Mystique muttered behind the wheel as she started the van up "…quiet down you two we have to get this done soon while it's still dark. And Creed don't damage him too much, we may have a potential recruit on our hands and we don't need him damaged before we find out if his useful or not."

Victor said nothing but did smirk at the thought of fighting the boy.

Soon all four were in and drove off into the night; not knowing the events to take place would long lasting repercussions.

To be continued…

A/N: Well there you have it, next chapter secrets will be revealed and discoveries will be made in regards to our hero and the resident taskmaster of the X-men.

Now some will wonder why I had him reveal his ki abilities so early, well I wanted that out early so I can later use it for latter developments in regards to him possibly training the X-men in martial arts as well as perhaps establishing further connections with the team and Logan.

I´ll see about introducing more characters when the contents of the journal are seen by the elder mutants, the revelation to the younger members would come latter….after some new recruits are added of course and talks with the opposing side of the arguments are made.

I was originally planning on putting Emma in this chapter but that will be for later on, need to make sure I do this right if I want her as a potential romantic interest I this story.

Also need some help in regards to how Kurt, Remy and Rogue usually speak, I have read several fan fictions but one is never the same as the other. I would appreciate some info in regards to this matter from those who have better handle on their manner of speaking.

Also been wondering if I should alter X-23 to be more like her comic book counterpart, I am a fan of the character (except for in recent events where both her character and Hellion were, in my opinion, grossly mishandled by the writer of her series. This makes me glad it was cancelled, because just like they did with Miss Marvel in CW they made me hate her.) I mean it seemed like a lot of groundwork was placed for those two to get together and then it all went to crap in three or four issues in a way that left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Sorry for the rant but it just pisses me off when Marvel hands us a possible gem like that only for them to take it away and smash it. I´m not fond of the lack of Peter Parker appearances in Spider-man either, his duality and struggle to balance both sides of his life are what draw me to the character in the first place.

Now onto some reviews…

doraemax: I have used the ways of the quiet thief, and I due plan to use more techniques, whether alone or in conjunction with his powers I have yet to decide. Rest assured I have not forgotten them

SeanHicks4: I will level with you; I took out the curse aspect because I wanted to do something that makes me stand out from the norm. Most leave, alter or lock it but few try to remove it, I get it takes out certain aspects of the character but I wanted to contribute something to any new writers out there that thinking outside the box can be good if you plan ahead for it and are prepared to receive a lot of flak for it.

And trust me I have received a lot of flak!

TJG: To my knowledge Vibranium does not affect psionic waves as it only absorbs kinetic energy hence why I added that when I was thinking of giving him Quicksilver´s powers.

Though I do wonder what Magneto´s helmet is made of?

Also if you recall I had Sinister shut down all but his healing factor when I had him electrocute him, if anything the metal without Storm´s or Magneto´s powers would have worked more like a conductor without them active.

Once the powers are active electricity and magnetism are useless on him to a certain extent since you have to recall he can´t fully control the powers.

Good questions though, if you have more I hope we can discuss them since they may help better my understanding of the abilities I gifted him with.

abbadon: I modified them, this story should not be lost in obscurity.

drake202: Yeah, that Ranma is character when it involves him trying to avoid trouble only to find it easily.

caffeineandshiny: I think I heard used the way I am using it, your language is tricky at times for me.

Cardinel: The only known story, to my knowledge, where Ranma teams up with the Power kids is one called Prime Attitude (Another great story that shouldn´t be left forgotten, though I am reluctant to ask if I should adopt it or not.)

Anyway, in regards to writting another Ranma/Marvel cross with the YA…I will admit that I have been giving it serious thought, though in my case it would not only involve the Young Avengers but also the New X-men.

The idea of having Ranma butting heads with Julian and Eli, fighting alongside Kang Jr ad X-23 has crossed my mind more than once. I have an idea of how to connect the two but again I have nothing solid yet.

Well that´s all for now, I´m off to dabble with the Master Chief.

Quick question before I forget, are there any stories where the Marvel characters end up in either the Halo universe or ME universe? Because I think that it would cool to see that variation come up instead of having just the Chief or Shepard land in the MU.

Peace out everyone!


	8. Chapter 8

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

**WARNING GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND ADULT LANGUAGE IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER.**

In order to make up for my tardiness I have decided to gift my public with three new chapters for this story since it will be paused now that it has reached the ten chapter mark, also while I work on my Buffy fics now that I am overcoming my writers block at last, I hope you enjoy them.

Once I have finished putting them up to speed so to speak I shall resume work on my other stories, my Halo's and my KP crosses. And for those of you curious I have not yet begun work on a sequel to my Ghost Rider fic do I do have some drafts in the works.

Please be patient my Fellow readers and writers, as that is all I ask for payment.

And thank you Freedom Guard for helping me out, I hope to return the favor should you need it.

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 7 part 1:

_Outside of Ranma's apartment complex…_

***Ugh…What the hell hit me?*** Logan thought as he groaned before he turned onto his back, the lingering pain told him that he had been hurt, but for how long and what reason eluded him until he took an instinctive sniff of the air. The second he did that, he got his answer, and it was an answer that made him LESS than happy.

"Grrrr…Creed!" He all but shouted as he forced himself to stand popping some bones in place before taking a look at his surroundings. The van was on its side, which then made him remember the metal skinned mutant who clocked him and threw him through said vehicle and further in front…

"STORM!" he cried out and rushed to her aid.

He slid next to her and surveyed the damage, she had a bruise forming on her cheek which made him growl when he recalled who had given it to her. From there he recalled the boy they had come to meet and his capture.

"Ro'! Come on Ro' we ain't got time for snoozing darling!" He spoke urgently as he gently shook her.

"Ugh…W-what…Logan?" She spoke as her eyes fluttered opened before wincing from the pain and then "…Mystique! She was here!" She shouted much to her later regret as her jaw pulsed with pain and made her wince.

"I know, I know she was here and so were Creed and some other joker who knocked me out. They took the kid with them."

"What! Logan we must rescue him immediately!" She spoke with great concern in her voice as she forgoes rest and gets up quickly regardless of her friends concern or her injuries.

"Two problems with that…" He spoke as he turned to look at the downed van "…we ain't got a ride and you ain't in any condition for a rescue, so let me get a scent and start tracking while you get in touch with Chuck, tell him to get Hank and Jean here for the van so we don't leave any evidence and I'll contact you all when I pick up their trail." The feral man spoke in utmost seriousness.

Though reluctant to leave him alone Ororo nodded in acceptance though she was still worried for the boy. Logan saw this and chose to reassure his friend.

"I will find him Ro' count on that."

"I know you will Logan, be careful though."

*snort* Logan let out in amusement.

"You know me darling." He replied with knowing smirk.

"That's what worries me." She replied with a knowing smile of her own.

He nods to her before heading towards the apartment belonging to the captured teen, there on the base of the stairs he spotted the backpack he saw Ranma carrying.

***Perfect, it's probably got his sent all over him…*** He thought as he picked it up.

*SNIFF!*

"What the hell? That smells almost like me." He said out loud before taking several more sniff and getting confused as he detected a scent eerily similar to his own.

"Logan is everything all right?" Storm asks as she walks over to him.

"Yeah…listen I got his scent, hold onto this…" He replies as he hands over the bag "…kid was bringing it for a reason, I'll try to pick up the trail."

"All right and good luck." She replied as she held the bag before seeing him nod before taking off.

***Charles we have a very serious problem…***

_With Ranma…_

Ranma knew he was in trouble the moment he felt himself moving and not under his own power, he kept his eyes closed but from the scents around him he knew that he was in a vehicle and that there were three people with him. He had learned early on that the best way to avoid being thought to be conscious was to do nothing and gather what data he could.

One had the same scent he picked at his locker upon closer inspection he found it was a man and that he reeked of nature and blood, another smelled female with many scents to her, including Rogue's friend Risty and finally another man but with a hint of something metallic on him. They did not match the bunch that ran with Sinister so he doubted that they had managed to track him down. Those guys were anything but subtle.

He kept still as he listened in on their conversation.

"Where are we taking him?" One of the men said with an accent he once heard while in Russia.

"There's an abandoned building not too far from here scheduled for demolition, we can use it to test him there." The woman replied coolly.

"More like we get to play with him, this will be fun…" The man spoke with a sinister tone he knew all too well from his time with the Marauders "…maybe he'll last long enough to give me a real fight."

"We aren't to harm him unless he proves a threat to us! If he does then you can kill him to your heart's content. But NOT until we know just what he can do, understood?" The woman spoke harshly at her companion.

"That was not part of the plan! I will have no part in murder!" Mr. Russian spoke out, earning him some favor from the martial artist.

"You will do as you're told unless you want to see your flatscan family ever again." The woman barked out at him.

Ranma could practically hear the man's teeth clench and his fists tightened in rage, before sighing in defeat.

***So at least one of these guys isn't out to hurt me willfully, that means the other two are fair game…***

"All right we're close…" She spoke up.

***…time to bring the pain on their heads!*** was the last thought he had before he snapped his eyes open and sat up quickly.

"Boshemoi!"

In the span of seconds Ranma saw he was in a large van with plenty of space to move, the Russian was next to him, a feral looking wild man was in the passenger seat and a blue skinned redhead was at the driver seat.

Once done he tackled the Russian into the metal hard…

"OOF!"

…Then seeing as the wild man was about to tear off his seat belt, the young martial arts prodigy pushed of the floor and delivered a right hook to the face…

*CRACK!*

"ARGH!" braking the man's jaw and making him face the window before grabbing the back of his head and slamming it onto the glove box…

"Urgh!"

…and finally grabbed the steering wheel and pulled a hard right.

"Fuck!" Mystique cried out as the vehicle fell to the side given its speed and mass working against them.

Ranma fell backwards towards the doors that soon gave way and let him fall on earthen soil. The van skidded to halt before a bulldozer with a crunch.

"Oh man…" Ranma spoke as he tried to get rid of the stars he was seeing "…that will be the last time I pull a stunt like that."

Getting up he saw that they had arrived at the destination his captors had planned. Looking back at the totaled vehicle he debated on whether leaving or stay and get some answers…as well as talk to the one whose family was apparently held hostage.

***The things I do for the Code.*** He thought as he slowly approached the van.

The back doors where he made his impromptu exit were clearly ruined, one lay on the ground will the other hung there limply. Calmly and quietly he approached it…

"RARGH!" Only for Sabertooth to burst from the wreckage and tackled the boy encircling his arms around his stomach with great strength, from there he ran for all his worth straight into a brick wall…

*SMASH!*

"UGH!" Ranma felt his insides compress by both the impact and pressure of the man holding him.

Creed was far from done as he slammed him into the ground and stomped on his back repeatedly.

"When I'm done with you there won't be enough to fill a fucking matchbox!" He shouted with ferocity as he grabbed a leg and spun around until he released him straight into a broken window.

*CRASH!*

Ranma landed face first into the unforgiving ground; he spat a mouthful of blood before he started to get up. His hearing told him that Sabertooth was approaching as well as movement from the downed van.

Sparing a quick look he spotted the woman stumbling out, some minor cuts and bruises on her as well as a gash on her forehead, the real surprise came when a hulking being of metal came out…

***That's just what I look like in metal form! He's one of the donors Sinister used! Great…just fucking great!*** the young mutant thought in shock.

"Come're you little shit stain!" Victor snapped as he reached down to grab his prey, unfortunately for him Ranma was not feeling inclined to do so as evidence by him rolling onto his back and pushing off to kick his midsection hard.

"Ugh!"

The raven haired young man back flipped into an upright position and took a stance.

"That all you got you mangy flea bag?"

"RRAAARGH!"

With that both charged at each other.

Mystique and Colossus both saw this and knew that there would be no stopping Sabertooth from sating his bloodlust.

***Damn it all to hell! This was not supposed to happen! This was not how the plan was to be executed, now we have to hurry before the whole world drops down on our heads!*** the blue skinned woman thought furiously before turning to look at the metallic mutant by her side.

"Get in there and get that boy! I will not have this plan go to hell minutes AFTER we got him." She snarled at him.

Piotr seemed reluctant to obey but he had no choice but to do as she ordered, his family was on the line…so he simply nodded and charged in.

Ranma for his part was doing well despite the ferocity of Sabertooth's attacks, he was surprised at first by how agile the man was despite his size and strength but he adapted soon enough.

He ducks under a left slash and deliver a left hook to the man's stomach, as Creed double's over he grabs his head as it comes down and rams his knee to the feral mutants face…

*CRUNCH!* shattering his nose.

Not done yet he executes a back spin kick to the stomach that launches Victor into a brick wall.

"Ugh!"

"Yeah! How do you like that asshole! Come here if you want me to re-arrange more bones that ugly ass mug of yours!" Ranma yells at the downed mutant who is slowly rising back up while his healing factor gets him back into shape.

However any further taunts are killed off quickly as he feels the hair on his neck stand, he jumps to the right just as Colossus strikes the area he was on with a double hammer fist that cracks the ground into a small crater.

*BOOM!*

"Damn! Forgot about him, should have known I'd get blindsided some time." The teen muttered as he dodged another blow from the metallic being.

"I am sorry but I must capture you." Colossus spoke as he tore off a piece of the ground and hurled it at Ranma who slid underneath just as it passed overhead.

"Listen to me! I get that you don't want to do this, I can help you if you help me." Ranma implored as he evaded the young man, he did not want to hurt him.

Piotr for his part paused for a moment, his fellow mutant wanted to help him despite the terrible deed he was being asked to commit, a part of him wanted to take him up on his offer but...

"I cannot risk it; my family safety is on the line…I am sorry." Colossus spoke with true sincerity as he resumed his assault.

"So am I, but I am not going to be ANYONE's prisoner...never again." Ranma replied as he grabs the Russian in a Judo throw that catches him by surprise and hurls him into a wall.

Ranma didn't believed he had harmed the metallic mutant, from his experience in that form there was few things that could hurt them, still he didn't like to fight someone who was being forced…

***Whoever is pulling his strings is in for a world of hurt when I get my hands on him…and he had better pray that I don't decide to strip him of the ability to have kids again too!*** unfortunately he was cut off from further thought as his world exploded in pain…

"Rargh!" He screamed as he felt his right side being racked by sharp claws. It seems his momentary concern for Colossus allowed Creed to lunge at him and rack his claws along the right side of his abdominal region.

The "man" in question stood before him crouched low with blood dripping from his hand and a sadistic smile on his face. Not wasting any time to let the boy regroup he lunged again at him.

Ranma ignored the wound as it healed to dodge right, however Victor anticipated the move, he spun on his hands and delivered a heel kick to Ranma's face.

"Guah!" he cried out as the force of the kick spun him around as well as from the pain he felt. Metal striking flesh was not something he enjoyed as he tasted blood in his mouth.

Sabertooth stood up at speeds that belied his size and ran at the raven haired mutant before delivering a shoulder tackle his foe's sternum that launched him straight into the Bulldozer's treads.

Ranma's back and head collided with the metal and dazed him, before he could regain his wits a metal pipe crashed into his head.

Mystique apparently decided to forego subtlety in his capture, Victor on the other hand ignored capture in favor of assassination as he lunged once more and jammed his claws into the teen's stomach…hard.

"AAAAHHHH!" Ranma's screams seem to echo in the air and incite even greater bloodlust in his foe. He tried to remove the offending appendages from his body but this only served to increase the pressure being exerted.

"Creed you fucking idiot!" Mystique cried out in anger "…we need him alive!"

"Losing some blood won't kill him." The man replied with no concern or remorse. Unfortunately for him he took his eyes of his prey for a moment on to find a blue sphere pointed at his chest.

"MOKO TAKABISHA!"

"URGH!" Sabertooth cried out as he was blasted away by the ball of ki, much to the astonishment of Mystique as she had him pegged for having powers similar to Avalanche.

Ranma for his part was just livid, he was kneeling just his wounds were healing rapidly but the pain still lingered, he just glared at her with a furious look just before he stood up revealing the sealing holes and clenched his fists…the kid gloves were off, it was time show these three that he was NOT going to make their capture of him an easy one! BLOOD was going to be spilled today!

*SNIKT!*

ALL the blades pushed through his skin and gleamed wickedly in the light of the moon. And the sight of that was more than enough to get the attention of the three mutant team sent to secure him. Raven herself was completely caught off guard as she knew that there was only one possibility of the body have THOSE weapons in him.

***No! It can't be! They made another weapon!*** Raven thought with equal parts anger and fear, the first because of the situation just turned even uglier and the latter meant that he was another deadly tool from the humans.

Sadly she didn't know how wrong she was in the latter assumption or how right she was in the former.

"I am not usually a vengeful person but I am going to make sure your great-grandchildren feel what's coming! Yaahh!" Ranma spoke before charging the two.

_With Wolverine…_

***I'm getting close Chuck, tell the others my coordinates and to be ready for anything.*** Logan sent to the Professor.

***We are already on route in the Velocity, Jean and Hank are with Ororo and Scott, Evan, Kurt and Kitty are with Me.*** Charles sent back to his friend.

***Be ready for a scrap, Creed and Raven aren't alone and we don't know much about the big metal guy.*** Logan sent back before refocusing on the task at hand…as well as the growing confusion as to way the boy so similar to himself.

***God they better not have made another clone or I swear to God I will put an end to that bullshit whether Fury lets me or not!*** He thought to himself just as he neared the site where the scents were strongest…only to stop suddenly in shock at the sight before him.

Sabertooth and the metallic man who had knocked him out brawling against the boy they had been sent for, who was fighting with claws similar to his own.

"_No…_" Logan whispers in shock "_...no, not again,_ not again!" he finally screamed in fury as popped his own claws.

Logan rush in but his progress was soon halted by Mystique.

"Sorry Wolverine but this is one party you'll sit out." The shape shifter spoke with disdain before launching a spinning heel kick to his chest.

"Out of my way!" He roared as he caught the foot and twisted it clockwise, only for Mystique to use the spin in her favor and used her other leg to strike him.

Sabertooth's keen ears allow him to hear him making him spare a look at his favorite victim; frankly he feels immense satisfaction as now that both he and Ranma are in the same vicinity he confirms what he has been suspecting for some time.

***So the runt finally had a litter…this will be so good!*** He thought with a sinister smirk as he ducked under a clawed kick.

Ranma for his part was more focused on Sabertooth and not harming Colossus, he wished he could help the Russian but his priority right now was to maim his unwanted partner in crime. The man was just like the rest of the Marauders who took sick pleasure from his pain and that really pissed him off.

"Stand still you son of a bitch!" Ranma shouted as he racked his claws across the large man's chest leaving a trail of liquid crimson in its wake.

Biting back a hiss of pain Creed started to form a plan, he spotted some fuel tanks nearby the wrecked van and now all he needed was a lighter... which he soon as he spotted some road flares that fell out.

"Hey Ivan, you play with the cub…" Creed spoke as he callously shoved Colossus into the incoming path of a claw strike "…I have a plan."

Ranma and Colossus for their parts moved quickly to avoid harming each other; Ranma swiftly directed his claws upwards and away while Colossus scooped him up and used the momentum to slam him into the ground.

*CRACK!*

"UGH!" Ranma cried out as he felt the air leave his lungs. Seeing this as an opportunity to finally end this confrontation Colossus quickly reached down and grabbed him by the throat, lifted him easily enough and slammed him down again.

"Please surrender…" The metal skinned mutant implored as he was not fond of what he was being forced to do "…I do not wish to further harm you."

*COUGH!*

"Yeah…me neither but…" Ranma spoke as he put himself into a sitting position and retracted the claws in his legs before doing a ki enhanced leg sweep "…I never surrender! I REFUSE TO SURRENDER TO ANYONE ANYMORE!"

Colossus was honestly surprised by the fact that his opponent took him of his feet; he weighed so much more in this form it would have taken a person with his strength level to do so.

Ranma back flipped into an upright position before jumping away from his foe, form there he surveyed his surroundings for his other opponent only to stop at the sight of the blue skinned woman fighting a man with claws much like his own.

"_Father?_" he whispered, he disregarded everything else as he looked at the man. He didn't have any pictures of the man but from what he remembered his mother described, the man he was looking at was a clear match.

He was about to rush in when lights suddenly flooded the area and the sound of helicopter was heard around them. Looking up he saw a helicopter of a unique design above them, this stopped the duo from fighting as well as prevent Colossus form engaging him once more much to the Russian relief as well as his own.

***Wait a minute…where's the fleabag?*** Ranma asked himself…

"CREED! NO!" He heard Logan shouted and turned towards where he was looking only to a barrel coming right at him, instead of dodging he swiped his claws upward cutting the barrel down the middle…this was a grave a mistake he soon learned as he saw the ignited flares jammed into the container.

***Ah fuck!***

*FWOOOSSSH!*

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

"Lighten up kid! HA HA HA HA!" Sabertooth laugh sadistically as he watched the teen's body thrash about in an attempt to escape the flames that washed over him.

Logan, Piotr, and the X-men in the chopper were both horrified and paralyzed at the spectacle.

_In the Velocity…_

Charles snapped out of his stupor first before quickly looking for the fire extinguisher they kept on hand in all their vehicles, he soon found it and grabbed it before turning towards Kurt.

"Nightcrawler! Quickly teleport down there and used this!" He ordered the boy, who to his credit only paused for a second before grabbing the container and disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

They watched as he enveloped Ranma in a white cloud from which his burnt body collapsed. Kurt's thoughts were frantic with horror and panic, this was shared by the others as well.

***Kurt, calm yourself panicking will only make matters worse! Logan, help the boy on board quickly! Hank, Jean, Ororo head immediately to the School! Rogue prep the med bay, Ranma is in need of urgent medical attention!*** He telepathically ordered as he landed the vehicle, with Scott urgently opening the doors.

Soon the sickly sweet smell of Diesel and burnt flesh wafted in along with the desperate gasps form the teen, the gurgle he could hear showed that his lungs were damaged. Sparing a look he was horrified at seeing so many burnt and blackened patches of flesh as well as the gleaming metal claws.

***No…not another one, not one so young!*** Charles thoughts rang with sorrow at the thought of another mutant turned into a weapon against his will. He refocused himself on getting him medical attention as he manipulated the controls with forced calm and precision.

From the windows he spotted Sabertooth and Mystique leaving will the unknown mutant looked back. He sensed the thoughts he was having of rage against Sabertooth as well revulsion for helping in this attack, and sorrow for the boy in their mists.

***We will make sure he receives medical attention, do not blame yourself.*** the telepath sent to the metal man.

He nodded in return before leaving, Charles senses that there was a reason for him leaving with them despite what occurred but chose not to dig further as the situation at hand required his immediate focus.

He could only pray they made it in time.

_The next day, Xavier's…_

It was midday and there was still a tense atmosphere in the school. Currently the only residents there were Charles, Ororo, Hank, Logan, Kitty and Kurt as the rest of the students were still in school.

The reason for Kitty and Kurt being there instead of school were caused by last night's events, as many bared witness to Ranma's terrible condition when he was carried into the med bay. Hank, Jean and Ororo had arrived long before the others when alerted to Ranma's need for medical attention, Rogue and Jean prepped the med bay to the best or their abilities.

However when they all saw the charred body still clinging to life they were horrified as much as the team who had brought him in. Kurt, Kitty and Evan tried to resist as best they could to not vomit but eventually their wills gave out.

Ororo, Jean and Rogue cried in sorrow for the teen…Kitty soon joined them. Charles gave thanks he had the forethought to tell the New Mutants not to inquire or investigate; going so far as to say that should they disobey Logan would be in charge to deal out punishments.

It deteriorated further, when Ranma's healing factor healed his damaged nerve endings and he began to scream in agony, Charles tried to psychically induce sleep but found he could not penetrate his mind because of some presence blocking him.

Logan, much to his reluctance, knocked out the teen with a punch while Hank administered antibiotics, painkillers and anesthetic.

From there he ordered the children to leave and rest as best they could, he used his telepathy on those who couldn't to lessen the nightmares. Ororo and Jean left early in the morning to inform Principal Kelly that Ranma would miss school because he was in the hospital after being a victim of a mugging.

Thankfully the man had not witness the boy's skill in the art to question this.

Still the damage was done since Kitty had broken down in school during biology class and fled to the girl's lavatory where she was found by Jean who held the girl as she cried with her. Kurt was too sick to stay in school so they were brought back he immediately went to his room and only left to ask how Ranma was doing.

Logan was in no better condition since his anger at what Sabertooth had done was still ever present; he had already destroyed his room and spent most of his time in the danger room venting on simulations of mortal enemy which he promptly annihilated.

Hank and Ororo spent their time with the boy in question, Hank was making sure to keep Ranma comfortable as well as update him on any changes and running tests on the extent of the Adamantium had been bonded to him and if there were any other things he should know about.

Ororo just kept silent vigil over the raven haired teen and once his skin was in better condition held his hand despite the claws that still remained out.

That was another thing that worried the professor, the boy showed signs of faint scars, Hank theorized that they must have been done before his powers awoke which he assumed was healing factor akin to Wolverine's and thus meant he could survive the same procedure.

Though for the life of him he could even begin to ask why the need for so many claws and of such a fierce design.

Some of the scars were surgical in nature, meaning someone may have forcefully awakened his X-gene, but how would they know which mutation he would receive? Was Weapon X involved? If so then why try to duplicate Wolverine? And for that matter how did the boy escape and remember his past when Logan could not?

Charles asked himself these and other questions as he looked out of his study's windows, another thought that occurred to him was how to contact the boy's family. Any I.D on him would have been destroyed in the aftermath of his…altercation; all they had of him were his backpack with a letter and a battered journal.

The letter had yet to be addressed and was more than likely written in the boy's native language, there was also the ethics involved in reading what was a private letter to his family. The same could be said about the leather bound Journal though it seemed to be in English, they needed information so…

***Nothing ventured, nothing gained…*** he thought as he picked it up and began to read…a decision he would later regret for many days to come. He just had no idea how much he was going to regret it.

_Meanwhile with Magneto…_

Here we find the Master of Magnetism sitting in his room and thinking over recent events, what had started out as a possible recruitment of a potential asset had transformed into a both revealing and damming turn of events.

_Flashback…_

The man formerly known as Erik Lensherr and his Acolytes approached the nearing orbs, where Sabertooth and Colossus and surprisingly Mystique, were landing.

It did cause some concern when his reluctant ally, for he knew the woman had not displayed the same loyalty after the events on Asteroid M, would decide to come in person.

However upon landing things had immediately spiraled out of control…

*BOOM!*

The sphere holding Colossus was torn open from the inside as the Russian born mutant rushed the sphere that contained Sabertooth. With both hands he tore it open and pulled out the feral man with great force.

"Augh!"

"You filthy animal!" Piotr cried as he bum rushed the downed mutant.

Creed for his part got right back up only to be tackled by the same angry mutant whose momentum, weight and strength easily allowed him to push him over some crates with ease.

The others witnessing the spectacle were shocked to say the least; normally their melancholy teammate was reluctant to show violence against any of them save Magneto.

"Mystique! What the devil is going on!" Erik bellowed at the woman.

"Victor got overzealous with the target and the Russian did not approve, especially when he set him on fire." She spoke calmly.

"I ordered the boy be dealt with should all other means of recruitment proved fruitless." Magneto spoke with a warning tone.

"Things are worse than you think…the boy may be a product of Weapon X." The redhead spoke with utmost serious.

Magneto frowned heavily upon this news and with a wave of his hand he bended the metal mutants arms behind his back as well as tighten his legs, as an extra precaution he took some sheets of metal from the bases walls and wrapped him up in them.

Colossus struggled to free himself while cursing in his native language and glaring at Sabertooth with hatred. Creed merely wiped the blood of his busted lips and chuckled at him.

"Don't know if the kid's a weapon but I know if he is he didn't fall far from the tree." Victor spoke as he stood.

"What are you babbling about now?" Raven snidely asked.

"The runt has spread his oats if you catch my meaning, heh heh heh."

It took a moment for both Magneto and Mystique to decipher the feral mutants meaning and both found themselves caught off guard.

"HE had a SON!"

Raven shouted in shock, the last thing she expected to hear was that Logan HAD a son and the son in question was the one they tried to kidnap. She had doubts that Logan was aware of his relation to the boy, but if he did…then there was no telling how he would react.

"Bingo! And it looks like someone had some fun with him if those claws of his are any sign, oh I bet him and I will have so much fun together."

"Enough!" Magneto orders as he pulls in the struggling Colossus "…Colossus you will cease your tantrum unless you wish for me to discipline you through your family. Sabertooth and Mystique with me, I need to know everything that transpired, as for the rest of you go back to your business."

With that said he released the now silent Colossus and left with the other two in his wake.

_End flashback…_

Mystique explained in detail what occurred with Sabertooth adding in occasionally.

The news did not sit well with him at all; the possibility that another experiment by that shadow organization escaped their clutches and land in the hands of his former colleague and friend left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Xavier would most likely try to rehabilitate him as well as bring him into the fold, as much as he respected Xavier he still could not allow such potential to be thrown away for such foolish ideals as peaceful co-existence.

***They will never allow us to live in peace Charles, why do you not see that? Did our talks of the past show you nothing?*** He thought grimly as he continued to think up plans and contingencies for this new variable in their real live game of chess.

Finally he came to the conclusion that the only way to learn more of the boy was to meet him in person, Charles would most likely not allow a one on one talk so he would to confront the boy when he was alone.

Silently in the emptiness of his room a plan was forming…unaware that whenever a plan was made involving Ranma, no amount of careful preparation would work when all was said and done. He did not earn his reputation as a wild horse back in Nerima for nothing after all.

_Back at the Xavier's, in Beast's medical lab…_

As a scientist Hank was obligated to keep his mind bound by rules and logic, it was how he coped when his mutation manifested as well as when it took a turn for the worse, however right now his mind was screaming foul as he went over the latest test result from one Ranma Gunshin.

In a spark of curiosity he had taken a sample of Ranma's blood and ran it through a gene sequencer in order to compare it to Logan's. The purpose of this was to see if there were similar markers that showed an advance healing factor.

He had always been curious as to whether mutants with similar abilities shared the same markers even if they did not share the same DNA, however what he was seeing right now had him stumped.

"This doesn't make sense." He spoke out loud; he had run the test four times now the answer remained the same. 25% of his DNA matched Logan and the other most likely from his mother, while the remaining 50% seemed to be divided up between seven more sequences, which by all rights should be impossible!

Hank loved a good mystery as much as the next man but this took the proverbial cake! For all accounts the boy should be nothing more than a mass of genetic soup yet there he was resting on a bed. Alive, intact, all of his organs and things in the right place, and functioning like ANY regular person, or mutant for that matter.

***Which reminds me, I have to change his I.V drip soon.*** He thought as he went to the medicine cabinet for another cocktail. They had to keep him out for the moment since they did not know how he would react after such a traumatizing event.

"Hank? Are you all right?" Ororo spoke from the doorway; she had left to use the restroom before returning to her vigil.

"A little tired my dear, the nights events coupled with the results I have found in our young friends DNA have left me somewhat drained." Beast replies with a tired smile at her.

"Results? Is there something we should know about?" She asked with some concern.

Before he could answer Logan came in with some gashes and tears in his clothing, some dried blood could be seen on them. Clearly he had just had yet another danger room session in order to vent his fury.

"How's the kid?" He asks as he looks at the boy's face then his claws.

"Fine for now, though there is something I have found that confuses me." The ape like mutant spoke to his fellow teammate.

"It got something to do with his claws?" Logan asks while tilting his head in their direction.

"Partially, you see…"

***Hank, Logan Ororo…please come to my study immediately.*** The Professor telepathically spoke to each of them in an odd tone they could detect.

***Something the matter Charles?*** Hank asks his mentor and friend.

***Yes…yes there is, and the quicker you come the sooner we can try and make sense of this…problem.*** with that said the three teachers turned to look at one another with confusion and worry. As one they leave the medical bay and head towards the private sanctuary of the one who brought them together.

However Hank in his worries towards the professor forgot to change the IV keeping Ranma asleep…

_In the Professors study…_

Charles was not what you would call a man who partook of alcohol freely less it was in celebration and quite lightly even then…but after reading the now accursed Journal of a certifiable madman, he found himself desiring a glass of something that could take his mind of the horrors that had been describe in it. Anything that could fortify him from the effects of the horrors he had just accessed was definitely welcome, plus he was going to need it for the discussion to come.

He spared a look at the horrid thing as it was some vile creature; the words described had painted a rather morbid picture of what was done to the poor youth now resting in the lower levels.

When he began to read it he was quite literally shocked into silence by the revelation that the boy… was Logan's son.

***But does he know? He did react to the boy's family name, but was that more in line with the mother, could he have been conceived without his knowledge?*** These were but many of the thoughts that rang in his head. Too many questions and not enough answers and he knew that he had to do this right, one slip up and everything was going to go down the drain.

He sensed the minds of his oldest friends and tried to get his thoughts in order. He had to tell a man whose past had been torn away from him that the boy he had watched being incinerated was his son, as well as tell a woman who he had known since her youth that she and one of their charges had been violated in such a personal way to help torture the poor young man now in their care. He had NO doubt that the very second he began the conversation, there was going to be a hell of a mess to deal with. One aspect of that mess was Logan himself.

"Lord grants us strength for what is to come, for I fear it is only the beginning." He prayed as he heard the knock on his door.

_In the med bay…_

Kitty had come out of her room for what seemed like an eternity, next to her was Kurt who had come at her request…she needed some support to visit their new acquaintance.

"He looks vell, doez he not?" Nightcrawler spoke calmly at the foot of the bed while Kitty sat in the same chair Storm used to stand vigil, like her she held his hand without fear of the deadly blades.

"Why would that monster do something so horrible to him?" She asked her friend while keeping her eyes on the Asian youth's face.

Kurt had no clear answer for her; they both knew quite well just how dangerous the man known as Sabertooth was when they had followed Logan when Weapon X tried to reclaim him. However that had not prepared them for the sheer level of brutality they had seen last night.

"Monsters have no need for reason to do what they do, and he iz a monster of his own making." He said with a grim tone.

"Do you think he's like Mr. Logan?" She asks as he looks at Ranma's face. She blocks out the memories of his blackened skin from her mind as she does.

"You mean iz he an escaped test subject like him?" He asked getting a nod in return "…Maybe, but I hope not, I pray not." He spoke solemnly as he had been disturbed by the things they saw there.

Kitty silently agreed, she would have voiced this but two things happened that made the thought die off, one was the light pressure she felt on her hand and two was a soft groan…

*GASP!*

***He's waking up!*** were her thoughts as she saw him start to move, needless to say things were about to liven up around them.

To be continued…

A/N: As you can see things have taken an interesting turn for both Ranma and the X-men, Next chapters will see many revelations occur so be prepared. Also I am debating whether I should have this story remain in T with warnings on certain chapters or up the rating to Mature, what do you guys think?

Once I get back to this story I think a little recruiting will be in order for the X-men as well as a family reunion eh? ^_-

I was thinking a pair of ladies with a rather unique hairstyle as well as meeting a certain frosty vixen if you catch my drift. Then we get a little inclusion in one of the episodes and perhaps a cameo or two.

Now then onto some reviews!

DAPC: Well first off I had debated whether to include the additional entries into the stories, however I wanted something unique to this story and thought what better way to show Essex for the monster he is than to show how he transformed our loveable hero into a hardened warrior.

You are correct in assuming Ranma and Magneto's meeting will be anything but civil, especially with Sabertooth backing his corner and him learning whose DNA was used on the martial arts prodigy. I will decided later whether or not to use Gambit as an additional source for his backstory to bring him closer to his comic book counterpart.

Pairings are still undecided, I really have only seen one Jean/ Ranma pairing and it did even last long enough to call it that, Rogue has the similar trait in maybe two stories and one where we see the adult Rogue from comics with him. Also it's not that he has no problem killing it's who he has no problem killing, he maybe Logan's son but he won't go off the handle with everyone who crosses his path only those that remind him of his torture or share similar views as Sinister.

Betsy, or the Betsy that existed before the whole death thing was a flirtatious fun loving girl who could kick ass and take names, I think she would provide plenty of comedic and romantic chaos for him. And of course we can't forget the naughty girl like Wanda and Emma, I think they will pose an good challenge since they have past that they would prefer to forget and could relate to him on a certain scale.

I see her more in tune with Remy given their shared past, but I will look her up just to be fair.

TJG: Thanks for the review, and I will have to meditate on how best to handle Laure since I totally agree with you after reading that fiasco that was issue 19 of her series, I mean MY GOD! That was the worst handling of characters I have ever seen since Miss Marvel in CW.

I really only added the Vibranium because from a logical stand point I was thinking a body running at that speed with metal for bones would tear itself apart, so I thought it could act as a buffer for the tress incurred.

To be fair everything was going well until Sabertooth decided to up the ante, though their track record as far as recruitment goes does leave something to be desired.

His training will be unique as I could see Logan sparring with him to test his CQC skills and how he handles himself in the DR, Hank would probably come up with tests to see how his KI works and how it affects his body and environment. As for combining his Ki with his powers, well will see about it yes?

Cardinel: Ask and you shall receive my friend, now if I can only get the 616 version up and running all would be well.

Writing Without Warning: It's weird how no one ever says what's it made off huh?

Well folks, that's all for now so be patient, be safe and Peace out!

Hiryo: I just hope others follow my example and try to do less Ranma gets stuck fics, it does get tedious after a while when not done properly.


	9. Chapter 9

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 7 part 2:

_Xavier School, lower levels, med bay…_

Sleep had always been a rare commodity in Ranma's opinion, or least whenever it was him doing the sleeping. When he was on the road with the man he once called father he would be awakened with a swift kick to the head or back until he learned to dodge in his sleep. That and the fact that his sleep had been plagued to hell by pangs of hunger, beatings, and the nightmares of cats, along with the smell of refuse, blood, and fur…NOT a healthy combination.

Then he would awaken by the call of food only to find small measly portions in comparison to Genma's own and finally in the Tendo's it was to acts of violence by the Tomboy or Shampoo's amorous overtures in his bed, to be honest he preferred the latter than the former. At least despite her antics, Shampoo was MORE than helpful when it came to feeding him.

Yes sleep was indeed a commodity to him, hence why he relished it so when he could get a decent night of it. However on this occasion he did not feel rested but groggy and with certain numbness he couldn't quite pinpoint. His hands and feet felt odd and he heard muted voices as he was slowly regaining consciousness.

He felt someone holding his hand gently, much like his mother and sister did when the nightmares came, he instinctively squeezed it while letting out a groan. This had earned him a gasp from whoever was holding his hand, a girl if he had to guess.

***Better not be a fiancée…and why am I naked?*** he thought as he felt the sheet on him make direct skin contact, he was not amused by this and asked himself why he would be naked…then it all came back in a rush, the kidnapping the fight and the fire.

"Gah!" He shouted as he sat up in a panic.

"Easy Ranma! Easy! You're safe…" He heard from the girl whose voice he felt was familiar until he caught sight of her.

"Kitty?" He asked with some confusion in his voice.

"Yeah it's me…and Kurt's here too." She spoke not realizing that Kurt right now was not wearing his image inducer, thus when Ranma turned to look at him his reaction was understandable.

"What the!" He asks with startled tone as he throws his head back that he accidentally bangs the back of his head with the wall "…ah shit!" he cries out as he brings back his hand to rub the pain away, he stops of course when he sees his claws are still out.

*SNAKT* they let out as they retract.

"You really are like Logan." Kurt says out loud.

Ranma gives a sharp look at the demonic looking mutant.

***That's right…my father was there. Great…I am going to finally get some answers.***

"Why are you looking at me like that is… is it my looks?"

Ranma could easily hear the worry in the other boy's voice; he realized he was being terribly rude to him considering he most likely had no choice in the matter of what his genes would make him look like.

"Sorry about that, it was something you said that caught me off guard…though I guess that explains the aura I saw surrounding you when we first met." Ranma spoke up with no hostility towards Kurt.

"Wait! You mean you knew I was a mutant and how I looked?" Kurt asks with some surprise that is mirrored in Kitty's face as well.

"I knew you and the others were mutants but not how you looked, I knew you were hiding behind some illusion but that's all." He said to them not seeing as a big deal…to him at least.

For the two however that just added more to the mystery of their new friend, they now knew him to be a mutant yes but what mutant could have such a unique array of abilities, If he had Logan's claws and senses did he have his healing? Why could he match speed with Pietro? Were his martial arts a factor in all this?

"Is that like your other mutant power?" Kitty asks in an attempt to satisfy her curiosity.

"Uh what do you mean my other power?" Ranma asks with some nervousness in his voice, he wonders if they have figured out what was done to him.

"Well…" Kurt began to speak in a more relaxed tone "…you are as fast as Pietro, have claws and senses like Logan and you can tell who is a mutant apparently."

"That's not a power it's a martial arts skill I was taught by the Grandmaster of my style." He replies in all honesty taking some small measure of pride in their surprised looks.

"Okay is there like anything you can do with martial arts that looks like mutant powers?" Kitty asks as she finds the concepts of martial arts being capable of doing what she only thought happened in the movies.

"Well, I can make tornados that can destroy half a mountain, fire ki blasts, cause anything that isn't a living being to explode with a touch of my fingers, tell who's a mutant and whose human, carry things from seemingly thin air, turn invisible and cut things without the need of my claws and before I had super speed I could throw hundreds of punches in seconds." He replies casually.

For their part both Kitty and Kurt are gob smacked since they had to believe some of that was true after he had demonstrated some of his abilities yesterday.

"_No…Way…_" Kurt mutters.

"Who are you?" Kitty finally asks.

"Ranma Gunshin, the best damn martial artist in the world." He says with a smirk that was known to drive his opponents mad with rage.

And that's when his stomach chose to break the moment…

*GRUMBLE!*

"…"

Kitty simply couldn't help herself and started to giggle, she was soon followed by and Kurt and then Ranma joined while rubbing the back his neck.

"Hungry?" Kitty asks with twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah…"

"Well let's get you out of here and show you to the kitchen, then we can tell the teachers you're okay." Kurt spoke up.

"Yeah…about leaving you think you can get me some clothes and underwear, I'm kinda short at the moment on clothes." He asks them with a tinged of red at the moment.

"Uh right I'll be right back with something…"

"Kurt! Wait…!" Kitty spoke but it was too late…

*BAMF!*

He disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving her with a very naked Ranma in the room.

"So…how was school?" Ranma asks lamely while clutching the sheet close to his waist while letting his torso exposed. Of course Murphy chose to let his telepathy pick up one random thought from her.

***Well…at least the company and the view are nice...VERY nice.***

***Why me?*** He thought to himself.

_Xavier's study, before Ranma awoke…_

***I have a son?***

Logan asked himself for the fifth time since the professor had disclosed unto himself, Ororo and Hank the cause for Ranma's enhancements…enhancements he did not request and that were forced upon him with utmost disregard for his safety or life. The fact that he was even alive after that was impressive in itself, no doubt due to the healing factor he got. But that hardly eased the mutant's mind.

When he and the others had arrived they all could see the stress and duress in the Charles's face. Whatever had him in this state must have been truly shocking since from the moment he knew him the man showed great inner strength in the pursuit of his dream. The fact that he was drinking already told him, as well as Hank, and Ororo, that what he learned was NOT going to be easy to stomach.

It was one of the reasons he respected him so much, why he would willing lay his life on the line for him…the man simply had this aura of peace and wisdom about him, sure he clashed on one or two of his policies but that did not take away his respect.

However, when he saw him in that state alarms started to go off in his head and preparations for whatever were to come started to rise up.

He had started off as calmly as he could asking them to sit for the news he was about to deliver unto them was by far earth shattering. He had simply started off saying that the journal the boy…

***No…my son, a son I didn't even know existed until now.***

Had brought was not his at all, but of a man who went by the name of Sinister, had come upon the boy and discovered something in him that he could use in a project he called Amalgam.

Hank asked what the project objective was and what exactly was it he found in Ranma that would make him worthy of such a project. They soon regretted it when Charles first explained that the project was to enhance a mutant capable of holding within himself more than one set of X-genes and by proxy more than one set of mutant powers.

Hank naturally let out a gasp at such a concept since his studies showed that each mutant's body adapted to their mutation in order to conform to their unique biology…the very idea that someone could transplant several DNA strands into a single set was both reckless and dangerous. The dangers were that such power would have easily torn any mutant to pieces genetically since the strain of so many genes clashing with one another would kill every cell in him.

Charles confirmed this by saying that the Journal spoke of various attempts and the fatalities each produced, both Charles and Beast were mortified by the complete ethical disregard this Sinister showed in the pursuit of this goal. The man literally was playing God with life and intended to create the ultimate mutant, making sense why the project was named Amalgam. The loss of so many innocent lives for this man's desires was immense and already it was taxing both mutants to their limits of their ability to tolerate such things.

He heard Storm ask in a quiet voice how was it that Ranma survived when so others didn't…Charles was quiet at this before he stared long and hard at him.

He finally lost patience and asked why he was looking at him; the answer that came literally knocked the wind out of him and left the others stunned. Ranma survived because he inherited his powers, his healing factor only it was more potent.

From there his mind simply retreated from the rest of the conversation as he went over the very idea of him having a son.

***It all makes sense now…Nodoka was feeling sick for weeks, she was going to the doctor to get a checkup…then those BASTARDS from the Hand had ruin everything!*** He thought as he began to clench his teeth and tighten his fists in fury, but that soon died out as he came to another realization.

***I abandoned her…I abandoned them, all because I was too much of a coward to stay by her side… I missed my son's life and now I find out some sick fuck with a God complex decide to give him an upgrade! He used him as a goddamned test-tube!*** The anger once again returned and divided itself into self-loathing and hatred towards Sinister.

"Logan?" he heard someone speak to him, Charles was speaking to him. He looked to him with a dark look…no not at him but at the treasonous black journal on his desk.

*SNIKT!*

"Where can I find this _Sinister_?" Logan spat out the name with utter hatred.

"Logan I know you are upset…"

"Upset! Upset is when I can't have a Goddamn beer at two at the afternoon! Upset is when the kids ding my bike! No this ain't me upset Chuck, this is me on a fucking warpath! I am going to find this bastard and give him hell for doing this to MY kid!"

By this point he was up from his eat and ready to tear something apart.

"Logan! You must calm yourself; you aren't the only going through emotional stress right." Hank chided him as he stood next to Ororo who looked distraught.

"What? What's wrong with her?" Logan asks wondering just how distracted he was with the news of his offspring.

Charles understood why Logan had lost focus with what he had said after revealing such shocking news and did not blame him, the man had just found out he had a son who had been tortured and experimented on.

"Logan, this Sinister did more than just add abilities to your…son, he selected his donors carefully from what I can only believe as careful and methodical selection. What I am trying to say is that…he used the DNA of two of our people." He said gently as he looked at Storm with compassion.

From her scatter thoughts she felt violated and sickened that her DNA was used for such a cruel experiment on an innocent all for the sake of creating a living weapon.

"You mean?" Logan started to ask but Charles nodded before he could finish, his claws receded upon confirming the news.

"…her and Rogue were used as donors, as well as Magneto, the young man you faced who granted him a metallic form as well, Quicksilver, as well as someone who works for Erik by the name of Mimic, and a Elizabeth Braddock."

"He used Rogue!"

"Sadly yes…" he spoke as he maneuvered the wheelchair around the desk and approached the weather manipulator "…Ororo?"

The Nubian woman looks at her old friend with tears threatening to erupt.

"_How could he Charles? How could he do such a horrible thing to us? To him? That is,…madness…all of it_" She asked before she felt his arms wrap around her, that gesture was the one that finally broke the damn on her pain as she softly cried on his shoulder.

"I don't know Ororo, I wish I could give you an answer but the fact of the matter is we are in unknown territory here. But what I do know is I need you to be strong, because you aren't the only victim here, Rogue was also violated in the same way you feel and Ranma is worst off as he was the recipient of this madman's plot. He was used by Sinister and we all have to help him, so we can also be helped in turn."

"Y-yes…yes you are right Charles." She spoke as she regained her composure despite her tear stained face broke her usual regal bearing.

That was just another thing Logan would hang over this Sinister's head when he found him, Ororo wasn't supposed to look like that and he could only imagine how Rogue would take the news.

***I am going to fucking skin that bastard alive! Then shove his own skin down his fucking throat!***

"So…we are telling Rogue the news?" Hank asked as he felt they should be sure of the next course of action. Frankly he was quite disturbed by what he had heard; it has always been his belief that science as a whole could be used for good…he had forgotten how easily it could be used as a force of evil.

"We must, not only that but the other children as well for I fear that we are not as secure as I had first come to believe." Charles spoke calmly despite his growing worries.

"What aren't you telling us Chuck?" Logan gruffly asked.

"Sinister seems to have some sort of fixation on Scott and Jean as well, I have seen nothing in the journal that points to foul play but I believe that measures must be taken to ensure all our safety. We cannot allow him to gain Scott and Jean, if he is willing to do THIS madness to innocents and…Ranma himself…then I don't need to explain why." He replied to the feral mutant.

"And what of Magneto?" Ororo asked this time.

***That is a good question, Erik will not take the news well. Having seen the horrors in the second War…the idea of his genes being used as a tool is really going to make him less than pleased*** the telepath thought to himself, it took a few moments before he came to a decision.

"Yes, despite everything that has happened between us he is still my friend and deserves to know the truth." ***Though should I also reveal that he has a daughter he knows nothing about? What right do I have to keep such information from him? This will take more time to ponder, I must do this right, because there is no doubt that this will change everything.***

"You know he will not react in the most favorable of manners when he hears this Charles. His past would have him lash out violently and whoever it is most convenient."

Hank pointed out and got a nod from Logan.

"He may even take my s…my…the boy for his cause. And I don't have any doubt that after…everything, the kid might side with him."

He let out as he hardly had the right to call him son after years of neglect. No man deserves to be called father for leaving their family like that, even more so for him since in doing so, his own son was used as a lab animal…even worse than he was. Being bonded with the Adamantium and then mind wiped was bad enough, but what…his son went through, it was a miracle that he was actually sane.

They could tell he was still reeling from the news, so Ororo got out of her chair and stepped towards him.

"I realize this is hard for you Logan… but you must see that eventually you must confront Ranma, regardless of the circumstances you are his father and he needs to adjust to the idea the same as you do."

"I know okay! But how would you feel if you walked out of his mother life not knowing he existed until he lands smack dab into your life after years of neglect. Hell what right do I have to call him my own when some sick twisted psycho experiments on him and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it because I didn't know he existed until now!"

Logan said with frustration, this whole situation was starting to drive him off the wall.

"What right do I have to face him when I was never there for him or for her?" Logan spoke like with a weariness rarely seen. "I loved her 'Ro and instead of staying with her I left like a mangy dog with his tail between his legs."

Storm took his hands into her own and made him look at her.

"You can be there for him now, it may not be easy but perhaps fate has decided to grant you a second chance at what was denied to you…the question you have to ask yourself is, are you brave enough to take it knowing the struggle you will face?"

Logan looks into his friends eyes and knew she was showing her utmost support and belief in him, he knew she was right when she said it would be a struggle but he had never back down from a challenge in his life and would not start now.

"You know damn well I ain't afraid of nothing and no way am I backing out now when it counts." He spoke with more confidence and his ever present smirk that showed where Ranma obtained it from.

"Now there the ever lovable Wolverine we've come to know and barely tolerate." Hank quipped earning a giggle from storm and a growl from Logan.

Charles merely chuckled and gave silent thanks that at least united they stood stronger than separate.

"So are you all ready to officially meet the young man who has grace our home?" Charles asked him yet addressed them all in light of recent revelations.

All three nodded in unison and he did so in return, he then turned his chair around and, despite his reluctance to take the abhorrent object with them, grabbed the journal as well as the letter so as to return the latter to its owner as well as explain the understood the circumstances explained in the later.

With that said they all left the study to greet their newest acquaintance and possible student.

_With the rest of the X-men…_

As school came to a close the rest of the group that formed the X-men rushed towards Scott's convertible in hopes of learning the status of the young man they hope to include into their roster.

"Hurry Scott, he may be awake already." Jean urgently spoke as she sat next to him.

"I'm going as fast as I can Jean…" ***besides you aren't the only who's worried…God that smell, it won't leave my mind for a scond.*** He sent to her as he spared a glance at two new passengers in the back, those being Jubilee and Rahne.

Jean nodded in sympathy for her best friend; she and Rogue had only seen the aftermath of what Sabertooth had done…Scott and the others had watched it happen and had spent more time in the presence of the burnt teen.

***After seeing what happened I don't blame Kurt or Kitty for their reactions.*** she thought to herself with a slight tremor in her body.

"So… are you guys going to tell is what really happened to Ranma or not?" Jubilee spoke up with seriousness in her tone while Rahne silently agreed with her.

The girl had been curious since she confirmed the rumor that Kitty had ran out of bio class in tears. The girl with Asian descent knew it had something to do with Ranma not appearing at the school as promised as well as the odd mood the senior mutants had been demonstrating all day.

Further proof later came at lunch when an altercation occurred with the Brotherhood…

_Flashback…_

The mood was somber as the X-men and some of the New Mutants ate outside of the cafeteria, the younger students felt something was odd with their seniors since the morning.

Bobby had jokingly asked who had died but he retracted that statement faster than Pietro can run when he received the mother of all glares directed at him.

"All right I think we've been patient with you all but enough is enough…" Jubilee spoke out as she looked at the X-men "…what is going on with Kitty and Kurt? Why are you acting like someone has died and where is Ranma?"

They all looked uncomfortable at that last question before Scott decided to at least explain why they were in a mood…which is when the Brotherhood came along, and from the looks of things they were still reeling from their encounter.

In reality they were reeling from their detentions at school and Mystiques newly formed training regiment, naturally they blamed Ranma for their misfortunes.

"Where is he Summers?" Pietro growled out.

"Where's w…"

"You know damn well who I am talking about! That punk who thinks he can make a fool out of us and get away with it." The speedster snarled.

"Leave him alone Pietro." Rogue surprisingly spoke with eerie calm.

"What it's it to you Goth girl? What? You sweet on him all of a sudden?" He sneered earning a chuckle from Lance and Fred as well as a weak chuckle from Todd.

"He's a friend, someone who stood up for Kitty when you and Alvers decided to gang up on her…" she spoke calmly before giving a smirk "…and then showed both of you your place, twice if I recall." She finished quite satisfied with getting one up on the silver haired teen that looked at her with loathing.

"Yeah…" Jean added as she too now wore a smirk that was quite uncharacteristic of her "…and both times you were on floor after he was done with you, for shame."

"Listen here you b…" Pietro was cut off by the others standing up from the table; Scott had his hands on his glasses where the faint glow could be seen behind them.

"If you so much as even THINK of calling her that Maximoff we'll see just how fast you are. Now get lost, he isn't here to kick you around like before and even if he was you'd have to get passed us first, he's a friend and we take care of our friends." The field leader of the group ordered with utmost seriousness.

The Brotherhood scowled before turning around, though Pietro decide to add one last shot in.

"This isn't over, you can't babysit him forever and when you do slip up his ass is ours."

"The only reason he would need us is to get him of your mangled bodies." Evan spat at his rival.

"And one more thing, tell Mystique and her pet cat that the gloves are off for that stunt they pulled last night." Rogue added with a heated glare.

"What are you…? Forget it I got better things to do than deal with you losers." Quicksilver replied with disgust before joining his fellow mutants.

_End flashback…_

She and the others were frankly shocked at the actions of the senior students, while they knew that there was some animosity between the two groups, they never expected them to be so quick to anger in relation to the Brotherhood's comments.

However she was quick to notice that the cause was not the attempted insult towards Jean but to Ranma. Why would Scott have also made mention of Mystique and an accomplice? This had led her to determine what was going on.

Seeing the uncomfortable looks on Jean and Rogue's face as well as the grimace on Evan and Scott told her something bad had occurred to their new friend.

"Guys? I am waiting, now I know you guys know something about why he didn't come as agreed and frankly that worries me because a guy who can take on the Brotherhood should not be so easy to hurt by thugs."

*Sigh*

"It wasn't thugs who caught up to him…" Jean started to speak as calmly as she could "…you do remember the professor warning you about Mystique right?"

"Yeah, she's a shape shifter and who works for Magneto." Jubilee answered.

"Aye and that she is also very dangerous according to what Mister Logan says." Rahne added.

"Yes well he's right about that…" Rogue said with bitterness as she recalled how she had been misled by the woman "…woman ain't nothin' more than a two bit snake."

"Well last night she and two others decided to capture Ranma because somehow they found out about him. I don't know how he managed to avoid capture but at some point he was hurt, he was hurt very badly." Jean finished as she held herself, the memories of his burnt body and painful screams had given her nightmares making her control over her gifts less than stellar.

The others shared in her discomfort since normally they never get hurt that badly, though it serve to reinforce the idea that they weren't playing some game where they could go back to the way things were should they lose.

"Is…is he going to be okay?" Rahne asks in worry for the young man, she may not know him enough to say they were immediate friends there was just something about him that called out to her animal nature much like Logan.

"Well we learned he has a healing factor like Logan…" Scott began to say while he kept a detail from them.

***Not to mention a LOT of claws like his.*** Scott thought as he recall the blades on his arms and legs, naturally he did not like the implications involved.

"…so he should be all right, we'll check up on him once we get there." He finished as he started the car up and drove away.

_Later at Xavier's…_

Almost by sheer coincidence had all the students arrived at the exact same moment, the older children and their tag along's were quiet as they made their way inside. They saw the adults heading towards the elevator that took them towards the lower levels.

"Professor? What's going on?" Evan spoke up.

"Welcome children, we are simply going to check on our guest, I surmise he should be fully healed and has had more than enough rest." He replied.

"May we join you?" Jean asked her mentor.

"Of course, let me just contact Kurt and Kitty, I'm sure they would like to join in." Xavier spoke kindly as he concentrated on locating his students.

***Odd, they aren't in their rooms. Perhaps they've gone to see him beforehand.*** He thought as he looked further, however…

"How did you do that!" Kitty's loud shout was heard from the kitchen, drawing everyone's attention. Jubilee and Amara being the closest moved towards the area with the others following.

They carefully opened the door and inside found three occupants, Kurt without his image inducer and with his jaw hanging open, Kitty looking bewildered and one Ranma Gunshin eating a three layer sandwich with a variety of ingredients that only made them look bigger.

He was wearing baggy Gym clothes that seemed to be two sizes too small for his large frame as they left his ankles and wrists exposed. Next to him was a platter of sandwiches as well as many empty jars and bags.

"What? I'm hungry." He replied through bites.

"Dude, you ate 5 of those sandwiches already!" Kurt yelled earning looks of surprise from the as of yet to be announced witnesses.

"I'm really hungry?" Ranma replied weakly as he reached for his seventh sandwich.

Kurt simply shakes his head in bewilderment as he finishes he spots the rest of the students and faculty.

"Uh guys…ve are not alone anymore."

"Hey guys!" Kitty says cheerfully "…look who's awake and all better!" She finishes as she waves at the Ranma.

"Hey…" said teen speaks reluctantly "…sorry about…um…being late I guess."

"You're all right!" Jean cried out as she stepped between her friends and extended both hands towards him; she touches his face gently and looks for any sign of damage.

Ranma for his part is stunned, sure he had his fair share of dealings with the opposite sex but his fiancées didn't know the meaning of the word gentle. This girl right here though was the very definition of it as he could tell she was genuinely concerned for him which made him struggle not to blush.

He takes a tentative sniff for no apparent reason as her as her hand draws close to his nose, he smells Lavender on her…he finds it pleasant.

"Why Jean I had no idea you were so forward." Kitty quips at the older girl with a smirk.

"What! No! I'm just making sure he's okay…I mean…you remember how he came in right?" She asks with all surprise gone and replaced with numbness and pain.

That dampens her mood as she is fully aware just how hurt he was from last night, it wasn't something she could easily forget from one night to the other even with him fully healed.

"I'm okay ladies, it hurt and then I got better really fast thanks to my powers so no more sad faces okay?"

He spoke as he saw their sad expressions, and if there was one thing Ranma couldn't stand was seeing a girl cry, it may cause him problems later on but he never could stand idly by and let that happen. Of course the next comment would cause his caring words to fall short even when he muttered them quietly.

"…_besides it's not like that was the first time I was set on fire._"

Logan heard that loud and clear and growled…unfortunately he wasn't the only one with enhanced senses.

"You were set on fire!" Rahne blurted out earning shocked looks from the other New Mutants.

"Me and my big mouth…" He grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. "…yes, yes I was I would rather not talk about it yet and before you ask it hurt…A LOT."

"Whoa! Was it that Mystique lady?" Ray asked despite Ranma's earlier words while the others listened in.

"Who's Mystique? The Blue lady? Or maybe the overgrown shag carpet who needs a month long stay with the manicurist and a year in a bath?" He asked the last with a smirk on his face earning some chuckles from the senior students and faculty.

"The woman Mr. Gunshin…" Charles spoke as the students parted so as he could meet the young man formally "…her name is Raven Darkholme but Mystique is the moniker she has chosen to go by. I had hoped our meeting would have been done under more pleasant circumstances but let me welcome you to our home, I am Charles Xavier the founder of this institution."

"It is an honor to meet you sir, I am Ranma Gunshin." Ranma replied with a respectful bow as per his people's custom in the presence of the founder of the school.

"The honor is mine as from what my students have told me you aided Kitty from a rather unpleasant situation. Please let me introduce those you do not know…" He spoke as he moved aside to let the others in as he motioned for each.

"You've already met some of the newest members to the school so allow me to present the others. First there is Mister Robert Drake."

"Bobby to my friends and out in the field and to the ladies…" He says in a suave tone earning eye rolls, snickers and shaking heads "…I'm Iceman." He finishes by briefly transforming into his ice form and then changing back.

"Bobby behave, next to him is James Madrox also known as Multiple."

"Multiple?" Ranma asked.

"It's because of my powers…" Jamie spoke up as he clapped his hands and two more of him appeared "…see." The three said.

"Huh, must be a riot when it comes to team sports for you." The raven haired teen spoke with a smile directed at the young boy who reciprocated it.

"Next is Ray Crisp known as Bezerker."

"Hey." Was all he said.

"Raymond." Charles chided.

"Names Ray and this here is what I do." He spoke as he held up his hand then small bolts of lightning appeared "…cool huh?" Ray said with a smirk.

"No offense but…" Ranma spoke as he held up his hands and between then larger bolts appeared "…I kinda know where you're coming from."

Storm frowned as she realized why he could do that since she felt the boy somehow tapping into nature to do that.

"Huh? Just how many powers do you have?" Ray asked surprised to find another person with similar powers.

"More than I ever needed or wanted in the first place." Ranma replied with a neutral tone.

"Yes well, next we have Sam Guthrie or Cannonball whose powers are really meant for indoor use." Charles spoke as the southern country boy stepped up with a warm smile on his face.

"Hey there friend, good to meet ya friends call me Sam." Sam said in a friendly manner as he held out his hand.

Ranma couldn't help but smile at the southern boy's friendly demeanor.

"Likewise."

"And the one next him is Roberto da Costa who thanks to his ability to absorb solar energy for his own personal use we call him Sunspot."

"Hola." The Hispanic teen replied getting a nod in return.

"Professor should we reveal what we can do as well?" Amara asked.

"I know what YOU can do already." Ranma replied before the professor could earning himself some looks/

***Damn my mouth!***

"How do you know? We've never met before."

*Sigh.*

"Yes we have…in a dark alley with you, Jean, Rogue, Kitty and a blonde girl with a quick temper." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck and avoided looking at them.

The four girls in question were confused until Jean's eyes lit up in recognition.

"You were the one that night who beat up those men and blew up the sidewalk!"

"Yep."

The others, with the exception of Charles, Scott and Kurt who make the connection to their time as the Sirens, wondered what they were taking about.

"And you called us bimbos!" Rogue said with a glare, she had never liked the fact that they had set to prove something to the boys only to be one upped by an unknown.

Ranma for his part was not about to back down and made that abundantly clear as he crossed his arms, which strained the clothes he was wearing with his muscles, and gave a scowl Logan knew belonged from.

"Yeah and why? Because I had just stopped a bunch of thieves and probable rapists and when I wanted to take that girl to a hospital after one of the assholes backhanded her like she was trash, what do I find when I turn to leave with her?" He snaps at her.

"I nearly get toasted by a fireball…" he spoke harshly while looking at Amara who had the decency to bow her head in shame "…and called a scumbag by the little blonde spitfire as if I was going to hurt the woman, so I do believe **I** am owed an apology."

He finished while looking at the girls in front of him.

***Well, he's my son all right.*** Logan though with equal parts amusement and sadness.

From what his powers can tell they are remorseful and that tempers his anger a bit.

"You're right Ranma, we should have let you explain the situation before we jumped to conclusions." Jean said with remorse as she admitted that it was not one of their finest moments.

"Yeah we shouldn't have gone so far without hearing you out." Kitty added as she stood next to Jean.

"I'm sorry about the fireball." The Brazilian youth said as she had regretted attacking the formerly unknown person that now stood before her.

Ranma accepted the three's apology before looking at Rogue who looked uncomfortable as both her pride and her beliefs warred with one another, Kitty bumped her with her elbow and motion towards him in a way that said "you know he's right so do it."

"Fine, I'm sorry we attacked you without knowing what was going own." The girl from Mississippi replied.

"Good now we can be friends again. I dislike the idea of carrying grudges." Ranma replies with a satisfied smile.

"You mean you weren't going to be our friend?" Kitty spoke with surprise and some hurt.

"Only until you apologized…" He resisted a stab of pain for hurting her feelings that way "…I won't lie to you Kitty I have not had a pleasant life even before I was mutant or…something else unpleasant happened to me, most of the times I was caught in fight or another and don't take this the wrong way but women were mostly involved. Either they were out to marry me, kill or both."

Ranma finished in a huff as he suppressed the memories that came for his time in Nerima before he left for a cure.

The others didn't know what to make of his comments but made a promise to dig deeper later on.

"So moving back on topic…" Scott spoke "…since you know what Kurt and Amara can do we should let the others speak, who wants to start?" He asked the team and the others.

"I will…" Rahne spoke up a bit shyly "…I can change into a wolf." She spoke as she indeed does just that before returning to her human form.

"I have enhanced senses and can heal fast, not like Mr. Logan…" she spoke noticing a twitch in his eye when she mentioned him "…but fast enough."

"I see…can you take on a hybrid form? Like a werewolf?" The martial arts prodigy asks innocently enough though he did find such a prospect interesting since it may give him some insight in controlling the cat.

"I can but I really don't like too…people say said I look ugly." She replied dimly with her head bowed down and earning some sympathetic looks.

"Well that's a load of bullshit…" He replied suddenly which garnered some looks surprise by his brash response especially from the Scottish born girl; he ignored that as he walked right up to her and gently grasped her shoulders.

"…you shouldn't let the words of idiots who don't understand what you're going through get to you, just because you got cool powers doesn't make you any better or inferior to them. You are just as human as them and if they don't see them I say screw'em, what matters is what you do with your abilities that make you a person and not a monster." He ended with a firm look that said he meant every word.

"_Thank you._" She said quietly as she really appreciated his comments.

"I don't like it when girls cry so you be strong, and remember if anyone gives you trouble you just tell me and I'll have a little…chat with them." He said to her with smile that promise anything but friendship, it one clear message he would hurt anyone who tried to give her a hard time.

Rahne's animal mentality saw that as a sign of an alpha protecting a member of his pack, and frankly she didn't mind since he seemed to care for her safety. Satisfied he had alleviated her worries he looked towards Scott.

"I take it your mutant power has something to do with your eyes right?"

"Yeah I can fire concussive blasts from them…how did you know?" Scott asked in genuine curiosity as he was very careful in hiding his powers in public.

"Your aura shows that you have a higher concentration of power in your eyes than in the rest of your body."

"My aura? Is that another martial arts thing?"

"Yep, the Grandmaster of my style taught me how to tell who is human and who has mutant powers. It's how I knew you and the others were mutants when we first met, you proved this later on when you said this was your home, I was thinking of taking to the professor to help me master these abilities." Ranma replied with no signs of dishonesty.

"You know I'm really starting to wonder just how you can do so much with just martial arts." Evan spoke as he was beginning to question many of the things he had seen in movies to what Ranma was saying "…by the way I can do this." He spoke as spikes made of bone appeared out of his skin before he pulled out a spike without any sign of pain.

***Glad Sinister didn't include that in Me, the last thing I need is to have those pop up when I least expect or need them to.*** Ranma said to himself.

Rogue spoke up next.

"Meh power ain't so nice, when I touch people with meh bare hands I absorb their life force and with mutants I absorb their powers." She sad with some bitterness in her voice as her powers denied her the chance to be close to anyone.

Ranma however already knew this since her DNA was used on him; he understood why her aura was some depressive and why she looks so sad and uncomfortable around people.

"Must be hard…not being able to touch someone without hurting them, guess that explains why you are so depressed." He said to her in a gentle tone.

"I don't need pity okay?" Rogue replied a bit harshly as she hated it when someone pitied her.

"I wasn't offering any, but trust me on this you may believe you have it bad but there is always someone who has it worse." Ranma finished as he looked at his hands where his claws hid in.

***Have to give him that.*** Rogue thought as she saw the claws and understood what it meant.

"Hey Ranma…" Jubilee spoke up in a cheerful tone as she let sparks fly from her hands "…my powers let me do this; I guess you can say I'm my own fireworks factory."

"You must get invited to all the parties then."

"I wish, hey Kitty show him what you can do." The Asian American girl said to her friend.

Kitty gave a nod before phasing through a wall and sticking her head through. "Ta-da"

"Heh heh heh, cute Kitty, very cute." The young man replies with a smile at her, one she mirrors.

"I know you are but what am I?" She teased.

Jean was up next as she waved her hands towards an empty glass making it float towards her.

"I can move things with my mind as well read them…though when we first met I found I couldn't do the same to you."

"Yeah, there's a very good reason for that and it's a good thing you didn't succeed. It wouldn't have been very bad if you did." Ranma replied with his head down, making him miss the questioning looks sent his way.

Charles had read about something dwelling in the boy's mind that prevented psychic intrusion, he would ask him to explain it later right now however came the hard part…

"Ranma now that you know some of our students allow me to present the other members of the faculty who aid me and before I forget, I like Jean am a telepath though it has taken me years to tap my full potential I can use my powers to locate others of our kind and offer them both sanctuary and a place to learn about their gifts." Charles spoke calmly as he moved away and allowed the three to be shown.

Ranma's eyes however focused on Logan as his did the same. The boy broke contact first as Beast stepped up.

"Hello Ranma, I am Henry McCoy or as I am sometimes called Beast as per my unique appearance which grants me greater strength and agility despite my size."

"Nice, do you practice any martial arts? Bet you would do great with some of the animal based arts." Ranma replied as he gave the man a smile.

Then came Storm, a woman who he would admit was quite beautiful and could go so far to give his mother a run for her money in looks, she held herself much like a monarch would.

"Hello child I am Ororo Munroe but on the field I am called Storm." She said with a strained smile as her thoughts betrayed how much she wished he hadn't suffered such terrible things.

***She knows…they must have read it, well at least that save me time to explain it to them though how will the others take it.*** Ranma thought as he steeled his feelings.

"You control storms I take it?"

"The Elements yes, quite a good guess Mr. Gunshin."

"I got lucky, which is a bit of a trend for me." He replied before finally looking at his father. His emotions were all over the place despite his desire to cut them off; he could hardly muster the effort to summon the Soul of Ice.

"This is Logan or Wolverine as we sometimes call him…he acts as the children's combat instructor, he also shares something in common with you I believe. If you like we can leave you two to chat in private?"

Charles asked the young man though Ranma remained silent and continued to stare despite everyone wondering why he was looking at him so intently.

Logan was quiet, and thoughts raced through his mind as he gazed into his son's blue eyes that mirrored his own. He saw the resemblance now that he stood before the boy and also saw much of Nodoka in him.

***Why did I ever think leaving her was a good idea?*** He chided himself not for the first time in making such a terrible choice.

Ranma for his part gazed at Logan with a silent look as he now faced his father, his real biological father. He could easily see the resemblance between him and Logan, he was still not sure what was next, but now he wanted answers to some questions out of his father. However, the memories of his life with his false father Genma, his hectic life in Nerima, and the events after being captured by Sinister and his goons were in his mind. So naturally he was getting a good deal angrier as he gazed at the man.

"No…no I think I want to say something to him now." Ranma said in a neutral tone that betrayed nothing.

"I figured as much…" Logan spoke as kept his eyes on the young man before him, on his son "…just one question…how…how is she?"

"What do you care…" he spat as he felt anger rise, why he did not know but seeing the man his mother still loved and had hurt her by leaving just brought something out upon hearing such a hypocritical question "…you left her when she needed you!"

"I care okay, I left because I cared, and l loved her more than you can…" Unfortunately that was no what Ranma believed as he remember the pain in his mother's voice when she spoke of him leaving her despite her pleas.

"LIAR!" Ranma yelled as he threw a right hook at the man.

"UGH!" Logan was not prepared for the blow or the strength behind it as he fell on the ground.

Ranma quickly got into Logan's face and to the surprise of everyone, Logan included, Ranma knocked him down, grabbed him by the neck and actually...was SHAKING Logan around like a dog with a chew toy and Logan was not even fighting back. Ranma did not want to do it, but his emotions were on the attack right now and he had no plans to hold them back.

"WHERE IN THE NAME OF THE KAMI WERE YOU FOR ALL THOSE YEARS? IF YOU REALLY LOVED MY MOTHER SO MUCH YOU WOULD HAVE STAYED! BUT YOU DIDN'T! AND I WENT THROUGH HELL A HUNDRED FUCKING TIMES OVER AND GOT SCREWED SIDEWAYS MANY TIMES BECAUSE OF YOU WALKING OUT ON HER AND ME! TELL ME WHY OR I SWEAR BY THE KAMI I'LL BEAT THE ANSWER OUT OF YOU MYSELF HEALING FACTOR AND ADAMANTIUM BE DAMNED!"

"Ranma calm down!" Charles spoke as he understood why the boy would be angry yet he hoped this could be done in a more private and civilized setting.

"No! I want answers! Do you know how much you hurt her because you were NEVER there? I don't care if you are my father I want the truth! And I am going to get it RIGHT THE HELL NOW!"

"FATHER!" Many of the young mutants shouted in shock.

Beast acted quickly and tackled Ranma of Logan before things could escalate further, he managed to grab him in a full nelson and spoke to teen as he struggled.

"Ranma! Calm down! I realize you're upset but we must conduct ourselves in a civilized manner! Please let him explain before you cast judgment! You owe it to yourself and her!" Hank spoke as the teen's thrashing lessened.

Ranma finally stopped and panted as his mind focused once more.

"All right…okay…but this better be good, I have come too far, bled too much, and suffered way too many times just to be lied to by someone she still believes in. Prove to me that my mother's trust in you was well placed…dad. Because if you so much as lie to me…I swear I am going to make you wish you never met me."

Ranma replied as he watched Logan get up from the floor with a tired look in his eyes.

"I will kid, I owe you answers even if you don't like them, just give me a chance to clear my thoughts." Logan requested as he felt a headache come on and his heart pound.

"A rather good idea Logan…" Charles spoke as he turned towards the still stunned students "…Scott, Jean I believe Mr. Gunshin could do with a change of wardrobe so if you could aid him in returning to his home for a change in clothes I would be most grateful."

"Uh…yeah… sure professor, Jean? You up for it?" Scott asks his friend.

"Yeah, I'm good..." She replied as she made her way towards Ranma "…come on Ranma let's get you something more your size ok?"

"Yeah, thanks." Was all the mutant powerhouse replied before she and him headed for the doors with Scott in toe.

The others just looked at one another not knowing what was going to happen but vowed they would stick around to find out. One thing was clear to them all though, there was going to be some very interesting things to happen in the future.

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10

Project: Amalgam.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, I'm just borrowing the characters from the authors in secret…_don't tell anyone or they'll skin me alive._

"Character speaking."

*Sound effects.*

***Thoughts.***

-Transmissions or Media—

"_Whispering._"

Chapter 7 part 3:

_On the way to Ranma's apartment…_

The ride to the home of their newest friend was silent as each of the car's occupants were lost in their own thoughts. The revelations that had taken place earlier stayed firmly in the grasp of the X-men; never would it have occurred to them that the young man they had befriended would be related to the one of the faculty much less Logan of all people.

He never seemed the type to have a family less to sire a child…but this knowledge was tempered by the fact that much of the man's past was a mystery even unto himself.

***Could he have had a family before coming to the school?*** Cyclops asked himself as he looked at the martial artist out of the corner of his eye ***I mean Logan knows his mother, but why would he leave her? Was he even aware that Ranma existed before he left? It doesn't sound like something he would do, I mean he looked torn up about it.***

Jean was on a similar line of thought though naturally she was wondering how Ranma was taking everything in.

She gave a discreet look in the mirror to see him watching the road in a pensive manner, for a moment he turned to look at her reflection making an indirect for of eye contact that startled her.

Deep down she knew that he was in turmoil over this, and despite not knowing him for long she and the others found to be rather likeable so naturally she decided to start a conversation with him.

"So Ranma…" she said as she looks at him "…how did you find out about the School? We really don't publicize its existence for obvious reasons."

Ranma knew what she was doing and silently thanked her for it, his minds was going miles a minute as he recalled his feelings as he faced his father.

***Why did I do that? I can't be mad at a man who only did what he thought was right in order to protect my mother, so why did I lash out at him…am I mad at him for leaving her or because he wasn't there for me?***

He thought before turning towards Jean.

"A friend who has associates in high places helped out, he found that this city has its fair share of weird happenings as well as mentioning a team of mutants, with one member having claws like mine."

"Yeah but how did he figure it was here specifically?" Since he figured something more was going on.

"It's a long story, one I will tell but only when we get back…it's going to take a while to explain a few things and you aren't going to like some of the things I will have to tell you."

He explained to her gently while looking into her eyes to convey honesty and regret. Regret because she was also mentioned in the journal as well as Scott, whatever that madman wanted with them Ranma vowed he would not allow it to happen, as far as he knew, Jean was a good sort and had a kind heart, having drop dead good looks just added to the whole package. Scott also seemed all right if a bit stiff, but unlike a certain Blue Blunder he head dealt with, the guy was not thick headed and seemed to be on the level.

Jean took his comment as for why he had metallic claws like Logan, she like many other students had at one time wondered how the gruff mutant instructor had come by them. The answer came when Kitty and Kurt confided in the team before the arrival of the New Mutants; they did so because the experience with Weapon X left them frazzled and worried.

***Does that mean that Ranma was also part of some experiment to make living weapons?***

She thought with worry, unaware of how exact she was in her beliefs. Jean decided to move to something else to talk about that could ease things for them all right now…

"Ranma…do you hate Logan?" she asks in hopes to get him to open up.

"I…I don't know him personally to come to a decision, my mom only told me about him but whenever she spoke about him she always got sad, it's why I lashed out at him I guess."

"That's a pretty normal response to this situation, or that's what I think at least…are you and your mom close?" Scott asks in the end.

"Yeah, or at least we were getting there before I got these powers." The martial arts prodigy replied.

"If you mind my asking…What do you mean by getting there?" Jean asks as she that odd.

"Remember when I said I was on a training trip?"

"Yeah?"

"Well the man I thought was my father at the time took me from her since he thought that she would make me soft if I stayed with her."

"What? That makes no sense!"

Scott pointed out as it seemed such an extreme measure just to train someone in martial arts.

"Genma was not a man who thought on the repercussions of his actions, trust me I have the scars, bone cracks, and memories to prove it. It also doesn't help that he has this whole women are weak mentality either…boy the trouble I got in because I thought he was right, thank the Kami mom set me straight the second she found out. How he managed to stay alive with such a backwater mentality amazes even me."

"No offense Ranma but your stepdad sound like a pretty big idiot."

Jean said harshly as she did not like what she was hearing about him.

"Jean, he doesn't sound like an idiot…he IS an idiot though I think even calling him one makes even other idiots look smart, not to mention he's a mutant hater to boot. Not the healthiest combination if you were to think about it."

Ranma said in turn with equal harshness.

"_Did he try to hurt you?_"

Jean asked quietly as it was one of the things that they as a race had to deal with, parents who often lashed out at their children.

Scott's hands tightened on the steering wheel, he knew full well how adults acted when they found out their child was a mutant and didn't like it one bit.

"He doesn't know I'm a mutant or that I'm not his son for that matter, his marriage with my mother was something done out of necessity or that's what she told me. Besides he got his shots in when I was kid during training, now the tables are turned and he has to go all out just to keep up with me."

Ranma replied with a smirk as he imagined how easily he took on his former father figure after training with Happosai and Cologne.

"Still you should be careful, normal people can still find ways to hurt us when they really put their minds to it. Like when they let loose the Sentinels."

"After facing a group of them in Japan I don't blame you wanting to stay away from them, those things were a nightmare, I had to go all out to take them out when they came gunning for my hide."

Ranma replied with a grimace.

"You faced off against the Sentinels?" Jean asked in surprise as she did not expect to meet the one who had decimated the area fighting against the machines.

"Yeah…" the teen replied with some discomfort and bitterness in his voice "…didn't help I was fighting some goons sent by the bastard who liked to cut me open to get his jollies while he experimented on me to boot."

"What!" Scott yelled as he was not expecting to hear something so barbaric.

"I'll tell you back at your place…better not eat anything because the story ain't pretty I can tell you that much."

He finished before he closed his eyes to rest for a bit, leaving to very curious and uneasy teens to think over his words.

_Back at the Mansion…_

While the students were sitting in the common room awaiting the return of their peers and guest, the adults stood in Xavier's study…or at least two of them.

Hank was pouring over the journal trying to find some logic to the man responsible for such morally reprehensible actions against a teenager no younger than their charges.

"Oh my stars and garters, this man is both a veritable genius and sociopath all rolled up into one…"

Hank spoke as he removed he rubbed his forehead to stave off an impending headache along with the feelings of anger and disgust at the man's absolute lack of morals and a conscience. He thought dealing with Magneto and the ones who started Weapon X was bad; this Sinister was of a level he had never dealt with before.

"…we are out of our element here Charles, I can't even begin to fathom what thought process went into this abhorrent project let alone how Ranma could still function mentally after being subjected to such trauma. Anyone else would have either been driven to a catatonic state or rendered irreversibly mad."

"Yes, I'm afraid it is not so simple old friend, from what I can tell from the boy's actions describe during his abduction the men under the employment of this… Sinister's had no qualms in beating and mutilating him for their own amusement or under his orders to see how he would react."

Charles spoke with a false calm as he looks towards the window and rubbed his hands together. He never tried to show anger lest he did something he regretted, but Sinister's actions were REALLY pressing his limits.

"Young Ranma responded with defiance every step of the way and meted out an equal amount of violence on his captors every chance he got."

"Are you saying he's a danger to the children?"

Storm asked with both concern and denial as her caring nature refuse to believe the boy who had come to Kitty's aid and Rahne's discomfort would be capable of hurting them.

"To all them and us in particular? No I certainly do not believe he is since he does not have any negative history with us and he seems to show that he is willing to trust us thus far…but should he encounter anyone else who works for Sinister or should share the same disregard for life he has…"

Charles left the last part unsaid as two names came to their minds

"Like Magneto or Sabertooth for example?" Hank said as more of a fact than a question.

Charles reluctantly nodded, his estranged friend had already shown how far he was willing to go to "save" their kind with any method he deemed necessary to achieve his goals, though he had yet to demonstrate such complete and utter disregard as Sinister he came close with Kurt and the Summer's duo. Sabertooth had already marked himself as an enemy in the boy's eyes with the way he enjoyed hurting him, needless to say the savage fighter now had both Logan and his son out for his blood and nothing would stop them from claiming it.

***Speaking of Logan…***

"How is Logan handling the situation?" The professor asks Storm who was one of the few people able to get close to the man despite his abrasive behavior.

*sigh*

"He's sequestered himself in his room as has not yet come out." She replied.

"Ranma's appearance and reaction have left him drained, understandable of course given the situation he finds himself in. Still…"

Hank's voice softened as he continued to speak

"…I hope the boy does not lash out needlessly against him, I mean in all fairness he did not know he existed."

"That might be true Hank, but I don't think that was why Ranma was angry."

Ororo said as she turned to face him

"…I believe it has more to do with him abandoning his mother than himself, from what I can tell, Logan was not present for his childhood and one must conclude that his mother would have been the one to show him love and kindness."

"This must mean that speaking of him to Ranma showed she still had strong feelings for him and thus great regret and sadness for losing him, this combined with his imprisonment and torture may have what drove him to lash out at Logan."

The Nubian woman finished sadly as she felt for both father and son and what they must be going through.

"You raise a valid point Ororo…" Charles began as he turned to look at them

"…however I feel this must be something both of them must work through on their own, despite the circumstances they are still family and like any family will have obstacles along the way, but we will be there to offer any help they need should they wish for it."

That was something they all agreed on quite easily, they were family in their own unique way and if anything they stood by each other.

_Meanwhile with Logan…_

The man in question sat in the only piece of furniture to survive his wrath after watching Ranma be burned alive by his nemesis. In his hands he held a bottle of whisky he kept stashed for when he really needed a stiff drink to tide him over…the news of a son he had never met, as well as the torture and experimentation of said son would constitute such an occasion

"Like father like son…" He muttered as he took a drink of the liquid "…Christ, am I so fucked up and cursed with enough bad karma that even a child of mine is cursed to suffer through the same things I did?" He questioned himself.

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

"Go away!" he let out loudly as he wanted to be alone right now before his son came back and grilled him on why he had abandoned the second woman to ever love him despite his many flaws.

"Mr. Logan?" The voice the belonged to none other than Katherine "Kitty" Pryde asked from behind the door.

"Now is not a good time sprout." He spoke more calmly.

"Please Mr. Logan; I just want to talk to you real quick…it's about Ranma."

***God…that's the last thing I want to talk about before seeing him again.***

He thinks as he gets up, as much as he denies it he likes the girl for the simple fact that she has seen him at his worst yet still trusts him. That's one of the reasons that he was very protective of Kitty, anyone lays a hand on her with ill intent, they were going to lose said hand, along with any body parts he deems they did not need. Opening the door he finds her there nervously chewing her lip until he sees him.

"What is it?"

"Well…it's like…um…" Kitty stutters as she tries to convey why she is here.

"Listen kid now isn't the…"

"It'll be okay!" She speaks suddenly to him.

"Huh?"

"With Ranma, I know everything will be okay with him." She says more assuredly.

"Kid…" Logan tries to let her down gently but he sees that she is quite serious about this.

"I know that you feel it won't…but I think Ranma will forgive you. He talked to me and Kurt before you met and he's a very good person who had bad things happen to him for no reason…but he's strong and brave like you."

"Maybe I don't deserve his forgiveness." Logan spoke with melancholy in his voice "…I let that maniac Creed hurt him… _I let a lot of people hurt him…_" he whispered at the end.

Kitty just quietly hugged him, whether she heard the last part or not he didn't know but he let her hold him, she and Ororo were part of a select few he allowed to be that close.

"Then just do better, that's what you do right? You get stronger and better whenever it gets tough." She said in all honesty as she gave him a warm smile, one he couldn't help but mirror.

"Yeah kid, that's what I do best." He replied as he ruffled her hair.

"Hey! No messing up my hair!" She pouted cutely as she said that before smiling again "…feel better?"

"Yeah, yeah I do sprout…now I should go with the others before he gets back. I got to sort out my thoughts first before talking to him."

With that said the feral mutant left his room and headed towards the professor's study, he was going to need some advice on how to handle the afternoon's coming events.

_Later that afternoon…_

After making a quick change in clothing and reassuring his landlord that he was not aware of the last night's earlier events, as the owner heard some ruckus outside but did not chose to investigate out of fear, he left with Scott and Jean to tell his tale to the converted Mansion's residents.

The two led him to the large dining room where they often shared a communal meal together with the faculty and the new students when they could. There he saw the senior students on his right with Storm, Beast and his father as well as two open seats. The professor was at the head of the table and the New Mutants on the left and a free chair that stood opposite of the professors.

"Welcome Ranma, I hope you have had ample time to rest and refresh yourself, if not we can have something made for you if you like." Charles offered.

"I thank you for the offer professor Xavier but I must decline, besides…" Ranma spoke with utmost seriousness

"…I doubt anyone will be able to keep their stomachs under control after what they will hear today."

"I see that you are set on this decision, and given the circumstances behind it…" the professor spoke as he glanced at the journal in Hank's hands "…I can hardly say I blame you, but just know that you are safe here Ranma and that we will do all we can to help you."

"I thank you for that but after what I have experienced I don't believe I nor will anyone else be safe until that psychopath is dead and buried, and every means is used to make sure he STAYS dead."

Ranma growled as he thought of what he would do to Sinister if he got his hands on him.

The others teens were caught off guard by the tone they felt from him, this made them question what could have been done to him that could warrant such a response. The adults however knew had had occurred and some found it sad that such innocence had been torn away from the boy.

"But that's for later, I need answers from you…" Ranma spoke up as he pointed at Logan "…before I speak about myself."

"Yeah…yeah you do." Logan replied with a tired tone as he remembered that day.

"Why did you leave her? I know it had something to do with a group of ninjas but that's about it. What EXACTLY happened?"

The young martial arts prodigy spoke while ignoring how Ray mouthed the words ninja in confusion.

"Not just any band of ninjas kid, this was a group of Hand ninjas. I and they have a history, bad to the bone marrow history, they go after anyone who gets in their way or they want in their ranks…"

Logan scowled as he recalled all his encounters with them, none of them were the least bit amusing in the slightest.

"…and I fell in both categories, since I ran afoul with the Yakuza they naturally blew the whistle on me being in Japan and worse they knew about me and your mom."

"That day she went to the doctor to get checked when was attacked by them, I trailed after her because she forgot her money. When I got there they were planning to kill her to send me a message…"

Logan and Ranma growled at that idea "…I took offense to that little gem and took it out on their hides. No need to explain that part since it's better off that I let you fill in the blanks."

*Sigh*

"The thing about the Hand is, they don't forgive or forget unless you make them…"

Logan spoke with tired resignation

"…so I had a chat with her old man and told him I was leaving and that he needed to hide her somewhere safe while I dealt with these undead bastards."

"Undead?" Evan asked in clear confusion when the older man said that "…what do you mean undead? You don't mean that they are like zombies or something?"

He asked with humor thinking it was some kind of joke…it wasn't in the slightest as he and everyone else was about to find out.

"No, their people are brought back from the dead with some ritual they perform or at least that what some folks in the know tell me, I tend to believe them when you take into account the fact that they disappear in a cloud of green smoke as you stab'em in some place important along with a few other places."

"Logan please! They do not need to hear this." Ororo chided the man.

"Darling, the sooner you stop babying them the better, I know we ain't here to make them into soldiers but I'll be damned to hell before I let them go out into the world without knowing about everything and everyone out there capable of gutting them or using them…"

He said in all seriousness despite the teens looking on, most were surprised to hear that from the man who was such a harsh taskmaster on them "…and we know that it's true, ain't it junior?" Logan spoke seriously as he looked at Ranma, Ranma glared a bit at that remark, he felt that Logan was still way too far off to be calling him that..

"Okay first off don't call me that, you have not earned that right nor to call me your son nor given me reason to call you father without me feeling anger…"

Ranma replied tersely though taking no pleasure in seeing the man flinch at his words. They were going to have to work on that, and at least he now had some idea on what made his father leave. If this Hand were that bad then meeting them was going to be inevitable.

"…you hurt mom, I know that you didn't mean too but I have not seen her so sad since that damn Panda I used to call Pop took me on that damn training trip and made me sign a seppuku pledge as a kid."

"He made you do what!" Wolverine shouted in anger and shock. Hearing his kid being used as an experiment was bad enough, but hearing him being forced to agreeing to a pledge of Seppuku was really asking for a beating.

"Later, now I need time to process before I can come to a decision about where you and I stand, can we both at the least agree on that?"

"…yeah, I can respect that but could you at least let me talk to her?" Wolverine asked calmly and respectfully to his estranged offspring.

"I will give you the details of where she is staying before I leave, and as far what you just said about these guys knowing what's out there? I believe you are right, they do need to know, especially now more than ever given the fact that the bastard who did this…" He spoke as he raised his arms for all to see.

*SNIKT!* the claws slid out surprising the New Mutants given how more menacing they looked in comparison to Logan's

"…is still out there and is both looking for me and is interested in some people who live here for his own personal game of play God with the people." He finished gravely.

Naturally his last comment started a chain reaction of panic and shock.

"WHAT!" Jean

"OH MY GOD!" Kitty

"Are you shitting me!" Ray

"Oh man!" Kurt

"What do we do!" Amara

The adults tried to calm them down with little results.

"Children please remain calm!" Hank spoke out as the shouts grew louder.

"We are taking steps but please calm yourselves." Ororo said as she saw their charges worry grow.

Charles and Jean felt their fear and it was interfering with the professor's attempts to psychically pacify them. This was also having an effect on Ranma and his telepathic abilities, as evidenced by his head being held in his hands, not even the Soul of Ice was working for this level of psychic backlash.

"Everyone please…calm down and SHUT UP!" He finally yelled as he looked up to find his nose bleeding slightly.

Everyone turned to look at the raven haired teen as he panted and refocused on the Soul of ice to soothe the pain he felt.

"Better…" he spoke as he finally reduced the noise to an acceptable level

"…sorry about the yell but, it was practically melting my brain…_stupid mind powers one of these days I should get me a mental blocker or something before my head cracks._"

He muttered at the end.

"Ranma? You're telepathic?" Jean asked as another piece to the puzzle that was their new friend revealed itself.

"Not originally, I was supposed to only have his powers…" Ranma motioned towards Logan

"…but like I said before, I've been tweaked up to the forehead against my will. Can I please continue to explain what happened to me and how it affects you and others?"

After a few minutes were the young mutants found their centers and once more awaited the words of their possible new member Ranma began to speak once more.

"I get that I have disturbed you with what I have said but trust me the more you know the better you will be to deal with the situation. I cannot stress that enough, I have lived through enough harebrained, off the wall, life threating situations to know this…and this was before I got my powers so trust me when I say I have experience in his situations."

Ranma finished speaking and turned to look at the faculty.

"Now, when I came here I brought a journal with me to show you what happened to me and give you an idea of just how dangerous this…man is, I assume you read it right?"

"Yes…and let me say that I'm…" Charles began to speak but was cut off by Ranma holding up his hand to stop.

"You weren't there to stop it and you weren't the one cutting me open, so don't say you're sorry. I have had time to deal with some of it, not all of it since I still get nightmares from time to time and feel the anger grow when I remember but… while I appreciate the gesture it won't change anything, all I can do is try to move forward and if the time comes when him and I meet again there will be a reckoning."

He finished in a tone that said he was not to be swayed or deterred, he was going to fight this with every fiber of his being, he was NOT going to go down, lay there and die. No way, he was going to fight and while the understanding and sympathy were expected, he did not want to be beholden to that.

Logan had to give him his due, the young man acted like he would have done though with more control than he had. He had to agree mentally that his…son had more balls than he did when it came to sucking up the nightmares.

"Very well Ranma though still we hope to help you if you so desire it, whether by teaching control of your gifts or simply by giving you council. I founded this institute to teach young men and women like you that they are not alone in this world and their burdens can be shared with those who are willing to bare them." Charles replied with a warm smile.

"Thank you Professor Xavier I am honored by your offer and hope to be worthy of your teachings." Ranma spoke as he would a Sensei who deserved the utmost respect.

"Now we must move on to less than pleasant memories, so please Ranma tell us what information you have so as to better prepare ourselves against this man."

Charles requested from the knowledgeable youth.

"Well he calls himself Mr. Sinister and trust me when I say he is just that and more, he's smart, immoral and sadistic to the extremes which he loves to show every damn chance he gets. He's deathly pale man who wears a black segmented suit with a red gem in the center of it as well as a smaller one on his forehead, on the back seemed to be strips that arched before falling, blood-red eyes and a fanged maw. He makes Dracula look like a washed out actor in a dirt cheap suit and tacky makeup."

"Any chance you can project his image with your telepathy?" Jean reluctantly asks as from the sound of things the man was the perfect image of a vampire or ghoul.

"Can't control it, it takes all my concentration not to hear other people's thoughts and when someone else tries to get in they are block of by…something I've had in my head for a while now."

The ponytailed youth replied with his head bowed down.

***So that's what occurred when I tried to enter his mind, another presence was there already…strange.*** Xavier thought as he processed that information.

"So what else can you tell us?" Scott requested.

"He has henchmen working for him, one group call themselves the Nasty Boys and the other is called the Marauders, they're the ones who are the most dangerous."

"Can you describe them for us later? I feel it would take too long to focus on each individual that make up both teams."

Hank replied as he could tell it could take too much time from the boy too describe them in detail, besides he wanted to spare the boy any more needless grief by remembering who was responsible for his torture.

"Yeah sure, tomorrow after school if you've got no problem with that."

"Tomorrow is fine Mr. Gunshin, now please continue and if you feel the need to stop only say so and we shall pick off some other time."

Beast spoke as he wanted to convey that he was among friends here, after all he had endured by that hands of this madman, he deserved to know he had friends.

"Thanks, anyway I met him a year ago when I came back from China…"

"You were experimented on for a year?" Kitty asked in shock as she could not imagine what pain he must have went through for a year.

"Yeah…I can honestly say that despite every crazy ass training Genma put me through; nothing equals the pain I went through with this bastard."

Ranma spoke in a hollow tone as he refused to meet her eyes.

"I did some light training in a clearing when I fell literally on top of one of his secret labs and was attacked by these robots he kept there to protect the place. I fought as hard as I could but I was knocked out and next thing I know I'm strapped to a table and then the son of bitch was right there saying how interesting I was and I would help him achieve his goals." The young man said with a grimace on his features.

"What are his goals?" Scott asked as the more he heard the more angry and worried he got.

***What are we dealing with here? A guy like him can't possibly this monstrous…can he?***

"When he found that I was like him…" He motioned towards Logan again

"…only with a better healing factor, he said I would be the key for a project he had been trying to fulfill called Amalgam."

"Amalgam? Isn't that like a combination of metals?" Evan asked as he looked towards Hank.

"Actually the term is used in more than just metallurgy Mr. Daniels…and in this case it applies more towards genetics and biology."

The ape like mutant spoke in a subdued tone as he let them draw on their conclusions.

Jean and Scott had an idea of what that meant from their previous conversations as well as what Ranma had demonstrated to them but Jubilee was the one who voiced it out loud.

"Then that's what you meant when you said he modified with your body! You have multiple powers don't you?"

She spoke in shock as despite not being the sharpest knife in the proverbial drawer, she was quick enough to guess the implications.

"That's correct Jubilee, Ranma has multiple X-genes in his DNA that give him multiple abilities that make him one of the most powerful mutants on the planet."

Charles said to them all causing the students to look at him with awe and surprise. Unfortunately Ranma was well aware of what that meant and he was not going to let it be taken the wrong way.

"Trust me…" Ranma spoke bitterly as he did not think it was as cool as they thought it was "…it isn't all that's crack up to be and considering I had to be cut open, beaten and mutilated to get them takes out any redeeming features about them. Sure they saved my hide but they don't know when to shut down when I don't need them."

That brought the kids back down to earth as they realized the cost for having such power; once more they wondered why this Sinister needed to have such a being in their service. Sensing their curious thoughts Ranma beat them to the punch.

"From what you're feeling you want to know why he decided to screw with me right?"

"Did you read our thoughts just now?" Rogue asked with a bit tersely as she never liked it when that happened.

"No I felt them, and don't give that look okay? I can't control want I can do with these stupid powers, you think I like knowing what other people think? Hell if it weren't for a martial arts technique I know I would go mad hearing their thoughts."

Ranma replied in the same tone towards the girl who had the decency to look shameful for her comment.

"_Sorry…_" she whispered back as she forgot why he had that ability in the first place.

***Way to go you moron! Yet another reason why I should have learned by now WHEN to open my bloody mouth!***

He thought to himself before calming himself.

"Ah geez, look I'm sorry if I overreacted and snapped at you, I just don't like it when people think badly of me for no reason or for something I can't control. I had enough of that in Nerima with some people I'd rather soon forget."

"Was it because you were a mutant?" Bobby spoke up.

"Nah, that was before all this happened but I'll tell you about that later, anyway where was I?"

"You vhere about to tell uz vhy you vere experimented on Ranma." Kurt supplied for him.

"Right, so the reason he wants me to become this super powerful mutant is because he basically wants a mindless machine to be his enforcer and guard dog in one. He knows that people like you and others would stop him from his work so he wants some insurance just in case, he never succeeded in creating one from scratch and when he tried other test subjects they all died in ways better not discussed. All of which frustrated him but made him smile at the same damned time to boot."

"_M__ã__e de Deus_…" Both Amara and Roberto spoke in Portuguese at the same time before she decided to speak, her voice laced with horror

"…You mean he did this to others?"

"Yeah and they all died, don't know how many since that _thing…_"

Ranma spat with venom as he looked at the journal that described his torment, he wanted so badly to burn that accursed book, but he knew that he could not. This was the only link he had to avenge not just himself, but the others who died by Sinister's hands. He had every intention to make sure that those mutants who died by the man's hands got their justice when he met him again.

"…doesn't say for how long he's done this but I can he has plenty of experience fucking around with people's lives like they were his own personal playthings. He sees others as mere test subjects and he does not care if they live or die, only as long as they serve his plans."

"He doesn't even care about his own goons lives since he always brought them back whenever I killed one of them by accident or on purpose. To him they were easily replaceable; he would just get annoyed and move on or let them beat me all they wanted as payback. They got their jollies off of it too so I have no doubt in my mind that they did not care one bit about using me as their personal target board."

The young man spoke quietly as he kept his head down looking at his claws before he spoke again…

"The worst thing he did was when he covered my skeleton and claws with metal, he…he used snake poisons to knock me out and…and then cut me open to pour the metal on them, problem was my healing was too strong and I woke up just as he cut opened my left leg and held it open with hooks…"

He now looked at them with empty eyes while his hands shook, though whether from rage or fear they did not know. But there was no doubt the memories were tearing into him and it was taking a lot of his mental will not to react negatively to the memories.

"…Kami I screamed for who knows how long…I think I did it until my voice was gone, but I still felt the pain while that thing smiled then I felt my heart stop, I later woke up and he told me I was dead for six minutes on the table…and he did it was a sadistic grin, as if he KNEW I was coming back and found the whole episode of me being at death's door absolutely funny…."

"…I screamed at him, cursed his very existence in every language I could conjure up in my pain addled brain as well as every expletive I knew. And when I saw how my claws looked and felt the pain from them cutting my skin as they came out I screamed even more at him…"

Now anger was clear in his voice as he recalled that day

"…he simply answered that the second coating would be much worse because this time he wasn't going to even bother with poisons or if I was awake and hope I learned some discipline from it as well as to know how to show proper…respect for my new master, him of course. All the while he was grinning like he enjoyed the whole thing and no doubt did."

By this point there were many visible reactions from them all after hearing about that procedure.

Amara, Jubilee and Rahne were holding each other as they cried; Ray's powers were firing off sparks while Roberto shifted forms, Bobby, Sam and Jaime looked positively nauseous. The X-men fared no better Jean and Kitty were openly weeping, Scott, Rogue and Evan looked like they wanted to punch someone and Kurt was shell-shocked, Hank was comforting Ororo, Charles was sorrowful and Logan was clenching his fists so tight they were bleeding.

The feral mutant was given a hell of a lot more incentive to find this Sinister and gut him alive. The images of what this sociopath did to his kid made him see blood red and it was taking all of his mental will not to lose it and give in to hunting down the bastard. No way in Hell was he going to let Sinister get his hands on Ranma or anyone in this school!

Ranma looked down and pulled back his claws, he hated that memory more than all the others. His meandering thoughts were soon interrupted as he was tackled off his seat by a small quivering form, looking down at his chest he sees Kitty holding him in a tight hug as she sobs into his chest.

"_How could he do that to you? What was the point?_"

He hears her ask, though he's pretty sure it isn't towards him she's asking. He sees movement and can tell the others are watching them and trying to listen. He stares up at the ceiling trying to find an answer for her but like before there doesn't seem to be one.

He had asked himself those questions and more during his captivity coming up with many denials and theories and never letting go of his hatred of the creature known as Sinister.

"Honestly?" He replies making her look up at him with red rimmed eyes that cause him to chide himself for causing her this pain through his words

"…I don't know Kitty, maybe it's because monsters don't need reasons to do what they do, maybe he likes to get off on the pain he inflicts or maybe he just wants a new toy to play with like the sick fuck that he is."

"But it isn't right! You didn't deserve that!" She cried out before the tears resumed. Ranma cursed his lack of knowledge when it came to women and the situation that brought them here. He reluctantly hugged the girl and patted her back in order to calm her down.

"Kitty I can't change what happened only live with it, and there's more you guys need to know about what happened to me and how it affects you and your friends."

"How so?" Kurt asked him wondering what else he would reveal.

"It's whose powers I was given…" He spoke as he looked at Kitty once more "…let's get up now okay? We can talk more later if you want."

The girl gave a shaky nod before they both got up and she went into Ororo's arms.

"Okay now…" Ranma began "…like I said before Sinister wanted the ultimate weapon so to do that he mess with my body and put some other's people's genes in me…two of them are X-men, one is a member of the silver blunder's gang and the metal guy from last night and three others I don't know about."

"Two of us! Dear God who?" Scott asked with alarm.

"Miss Munroe and Rogue."

Quick and to the point was his reply since he saw no point in lying to them or beating around the bush. He KNEW this was going to come back to bite him in the proverbial neck, but no sense letting it fester.

All eyes turned towards the two in stunned silence, Storm nodded her head as she knew she was one of his donors thanks to the journal…Rogue on the other hand was side eyed and slack jawed.

"_W-w-what?_"

"He used your DNA with someone else called Mimic to make it so the other powers would stick, Ms. Munroe's was one of the others, someone called Quicksilver was used to give me super speed, the Metal guy from last night gave me a metallic body and super strength, Someone named Elizabeth Braddock gave me psychic powers and they gave that Magneto guys magnetic powers."

Rogue ignored all that as she collapsed into a nearby chair with the same look of shock, Storm relinquished her hold on Kitty and laid a hand on Rogue's covered shoulder, the professor did the same on the opposite end.

"Rogue?" the Nubian woman spoke gently to her.

"Rogue, please talk to us."

"_Why me? Why did he use me?_" She asked her mentor with growing tears "_…wasn't Mystique enough? Did I do something to deserve this?_"

"No, no you didn't Rogue…" Ororo spoke gently as she carefully drew the girl into a hug while making sure she did not touch her unprotected skin "…I too feel the same revulsion and violation you are feeling child, you are not alone in this."

"No Rogue you are not…" Charles added as he maneuvered himself opposite of Storm and held her covered hand into his own like a father would a daughter. "…we are here for you and I promise you we will do all we can to see you, Ororo and Ranma you deserve."

Rogue simply nodded while her friends looked on sadly, Ranma for his part felt terrible for causing this mess here he was trying to warn them and all he was doing was scaring them and causing them pain.

"It's not your fault." He suddenly turns towards Jean who is looking at him with kindness and sadness.

"What?" He asks in confusion as he looks at the red headed girl.

"You're thinking this is your fault aren't you?"

"I thought you couldn't read my mind." He says as a joke to hide his discomfort.

"I can't but doesn't mean I can't tell from your face…Ranma, I know that we haven't taken all this well but you did right by telling us this, can you imagine what would have happened if you hadn't and we ran into this Sinister and his men?"

She asks him hypothetically.

"We've be lock up and cut open before we knew what was happening…"

Evan spoke up as he stepped next to him

"…this guy sounds like a real piece of work, the kind I do not want to meet alone in a dark alley or anywhere else for that matter."

"More like a living nightmare, you my friend have suffered greatly yet you have come to our aid by revealing this information…thank you for that."

Kurt said with utmost gratitude as he laid a hand on his shoulder.

The other students nodded in turn and smiled at him.

"Besides the way I see it you being here means he can't plan for everything right? It means he can be beat." Scott added with an air of confidence.

"And with your help…" Beast approaches along with Logan who has managed to calm down after hearing about his son's procedures "…we shall be ready for him and his men."

"And when the time comes that he and you meet again…" Charles spoke as he, Storm and Rogue approached with the girl having been calmed down for now "…you will not face him alone."

"Yeah! The guy will be begging for mercy when we're done with him." Evan said as he smacked his fist into his palm.

"You are one of us now Ranma…" Scott added as he laid a hand on the raven haired teen "…have been when you helped out Kitty, and we look after each other no matter what."

Ranma is silent for a moment before he smiles at them and they return it.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it and I hope to be worthy of your friendship."

With that done they returned to their seats and spoke well into the night about their new opponents and their agendas. Whatever trials that would come they would face together…perhaps sooner than they think.

_Unknown time and place…_

"Boss?" Malice spoke as she approached the mutated scientist as he sat in front of a large screen where DNA strands were moving and splicing as well as data being relayed back to him.

"What is it Malice?" The pale faced man said as he turned to face her.

"Got news on our escaped little lab rat." She replied earning his full and utmost attention. That could be a good or REALLY bad thing depending on his mood and what she said in the next few minutes.

"Speak."

"Kid ended up in Bayville, and from what I caught when I was snooping around Magneto's was he had a tussle with his faithful rabid mongrel and that walking battle tank…"

"DAMN!" Sinister snarled as this was the last thing he wanted.

"Gets worse, Sabertooth set him on fire and he landed smack dab in Xavier HQ."

"ARGH!" The man let loose an energy blast at a nearby table and reduced it to rubble.

"First Arclight turns up missing and now this!"

"You want me to round up the guys and make a grab at him?" Malice asks as she knows just how easily he could turn his anger out on them and not the furniture. Furniture can be replaced, well so could they, but they were more useful alive than dead.

"…no, tell them to pack up and prepare to move to the closest base we have to the eastern seaboard, we must proceed cautiously now that Amalgam is in the clutches of the X-men and has been revealed to Magneto."

"Not to be a bother but you do realize that the kid will squeal about us right? We won't have the element of surprise and numbers no more, add the fact that Lensherr will have his people on the lookout for us and well…"

"No matter, we will adapt and regroup, in the meantime Malice take Scalphunter and keep searching for Arclight…something is afoot and we've had too many setbacks to be distracted further."

"On it Boss." The parasitic entity spoke before leaving him alone.

***Too many pieces on the board now…have to change strategies and seek out other venues if I am to both reclaim my property and acquire new test samples.***

Sinister thought as he sat in his chair and began to plan his next move, for the moment patience would be the better part of valor as the field was rearranged for the new variable that had been introduced. He hated new variables, but he also thought that this would give him more ideas and also viable options when he executed his own plans.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

AUTHOR'S NOTICE

Ok, I have tried to keep this quiet but the amount of questions on when I will update has forced my hand.

About two weeks ago my house was robbed, among the items taken was my laptop, hence all updates are now stalled. I apologize that this causes distress to some of my fans but right now all my effort and money is being diverted to beefing up security in my home and helping replace some of the items stolen, leaving little to no time to work on my fanfics. For those of you interested my family is safe as this tragedy occurred while we were all at work or school so no one was hurt.

Please bear with me as I try to figure something out regarding my stories and don't give up on me yet, I have taken beatings before yet life has yet to find a way to put me down and this will be no different.

I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive this delay and are patient with me in the wake of these circumstances.

Peace out!


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